Dragon Sword
by Ceu Praca
Summary: The Death Mountain Trail Guard. The Hero of Time. They're actually quite good friends, believe it or not, even though he laughs at the poor kid. The name of the story doesn't make much sense, but it will in later chapters. Rated T for danger and some near-death instances regarding our heroes. Will deviate from canon, though nothing extreme until the last few chapters.
1. First Encounter

I was always intrigued by the Hyrulean soldier who guarded the gate in Kakariko Village in Ocarina of Time. Unlike all the other soldiers, he had personality, and actually helped you with getting the Hylian Shield. The Happy Mask Shop doesn't even open for business until after you talk to him. He's the most important soldier in the whole game, and I had fun writing this about him. Although this seems to be pointless, it's not. His tale continues after this. What I've written is not merely a written form of what happened in the game; it's a story. And the name Tannin means 'Dragon' in Hebrew. You'll know why I named him that later on. :D Cover art is my attempt at drawing Tannin's sword above the story title, but I had to flip it sideways to make the dimensions fit(Did I say that out loud? Tannin doesn't have a sword! Just ignore that). And the letters next to the name 'Dragon Sword' are my own, private language that belongs solely to me. Anyway, enough rambling about my cover art.

* * *

**First Encounter**

The kid stood out like a Zora in the desert. Bright green clothes, pointy hat, tiny knife that was a ridiculous mockery of a sword; he was obviously not from around here. But when he walked up to me and told me that he needed to climb Death Mountain so that he could save the world, I couldn't help but laugh at him. Then his face got bright red and he yanked out a piece of folded paper with a large stamp on the front. I took it and read it, surprised.

"Oh, this is…this is surely Princess Zelda's handwriting!" I knew what her handwriting looked like because I'd seen official letters from her before. But when I read what she had written… "_This is Link. He is under my orders to save Hyrule._" The whole thing just seemed so strange that I had to laugh again. "What kind of funny game has our princess come up with now?"

The kid glared up at me. "It's not a game! I really need to visit the Gorons; the fate of the kingdom depends on me!"

"Well, aren't you the important hero?"

"I'm serious! Please!"

I contemplated this. _He can't be much older than Ryan, and I'll feel bad if he gets himself killed, but he _does_ have a weapon. _"Okay, okay, alright." I jammed my spear into the ground, activating a hidden pressure switch that could only be turned on with an object of specific size. Namely, the butt of a spear. He watched, wide-eyed, as the gate slid away into its slot in the wall, and I knew he was wondering how it had opened seemingly of its own accord. "You can go now…just be careful, Mr. Hero."

He looked visibly relieved. "You can keep the letter."

"Why would I keep the letter? It's your souvenir of the princess."

"I don't need it anymore."

The kid made as if to go past me, but I stopped him when I saw that he wore a wooden shield. "By the way, Mr. Hero…"

He glanced at me, seeming surprised. "What?"

"If you're seriously going to climb Death Mountain, you should equip a proper shield! It is an active volcano, after all!"

"Proper shield?" he echoed, looking clueless.

_I don't know why, but I feel that I should help him._ "If you go to Hyrule Castle Town Market, you should check out the Bazaar. They sell the shield you need there."

"How much do they sell it for?"

"Usually around two hundred rupees." *

His face fell. "I can't carry any more than a hundred." *

_Poor kid. Not even old enough to have a proper wallet._ I didn't usually hand out special favors, but I didn't want him getting killed. "Tell 'em I sent you, and they should give you a special discount."

His eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, thank you! But…who are you?"

"Name's Tannin."

"Okay, I'll tell them that."

He turned to go back down the stairs that led to the entrance of Kakariko. "Hey, kid!"

He turned back, looking bewildered. "What?"

"Yeah, I know, I keep stopping you. I know this is kind of strange, but if you're going to Castle Town, I'd like to ask a favor of you." He looked apprehensive now, and I chuckled. "No, I don't expect you to do it because of the great tip I gave you, I'm just asking."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Have you been to the Happy Mask Shop that just opened in the Hyrule Castle Town Market? Everyone is talking about it." He shook his head_._ "My little boy pesters me for a popular mask, but I don't have the time to go there…so could you go and get the mask for me next time you are in the Market? If you don't feel like it, that's okay, but…well, I have no choice. This is my job."

The kid looked sympathetic, but he didn't say a word, instead just turned around and walked away. I watched him until he was out of sight, then gripped my staff tighter and closed the gate again, leaning slightly against the stone wall as I waiting, guarding the road to Death Mountain faithfully as I had for many years.

* * *

IT'S NOT THE END OF THE STORY! Sorry, that was overboard. I know the end of this scene _seems_ like an ending, but it's not. Just pointing that out. XD

* I always thought it was weird how a heavy-duty, beautifully painted, elegant, metal shield with Hyrule's royal crest on it was only 80 rupees. AND...if Link can already afford it, then what's the purpose for the soldier giving you a good discount? So I made it the same price that it is in Twilight Princess, for logic's sake.

* I hate the number 9, mainly because it's not quite 10, and it's an odd number. Which is why it bugs me to no end that Link's childhood wallet hold precisely 99 rupees. Why not make it an even 100? Grrr...thank goodness for fanfiction, so I can change that.

A/N: I decided to make Link appear childlike, yet serious, the way he is portrayed in the game. However, in my opinion, the kid needs help. He doesn't just 'magically' know how to use a sword the instant he picks one up, and the next chapter is going to be a bit more intense.


	2. Shield

YES, I KNOW, THESE CHAPTERS ARE INSANELY SHORT! I'M SORRY! Okay, random outburst is over. XD

* * *

**Shield**

He came back into the village the next day, this time with a new shield. I suppressed a smile; the shield was as big as he was, serving more as a turtle shell than a proper shield. _Ah, he'll grow into it eventually. _The kid stopped in front of me, and I opened the gate again. "Be careful," I warned, knowing full well that the Gorons hadn't been that friendly of late.

He nodded, then moved past me. I watched as he went slowly up the trail, seeming weighed down by that shield, and I wondered whether or not it was a good thing that he had taken my advice. _It might protect him better, but it also slows him down. But I guess it's better than carrying a piece of wood for protection._

A small form ran up to me, and I closed the gate again quickly, staring down at the boy who clung to my legs. "Hey, dad!"

"What are you doing here?" I scolded gently.

"Dampe chased me out of the graveyard because I woke up a skulltula and it nearly got me."

I resisted the urge to facepalm. "You woke a skulltula?"

"I didn't mean to, honest! It just happened!"

I checked my timepiece; almost 0600. _What the heck was he doing running around the graveyard this early in the morning?_ "Go home and tell your mother my shift is done at midnight." Ryan nodded, letting go and running away. He was only nine, but the kid had a fascination for ghosts and spooks that kind of concerned me. _As long as he doesn't start moving gravestones or bothering Dampe, I'm fine with it._

* * *

It was midnight, and I was just about to signal for Gavin to come take over so that I could go home, when I heard something clang against the gate. I turned, then saw with shock a small, pale hand hanging limply to one of the bars. I knelt, finding that it was the child who had gone up the mountain. He wasn't moving, so I pushed his hand through gently so that he wouldn't be hurt, then I hit the pressure switch, opening the gate.

"Hey, kid, can you hear me?" He didn't respond, and I slid my hand under him and turned him over gently, seeing that he was plastered with sweat and blood, various gashes covering his small body and a deep stab through his left arm. _Oh, no, what happened to him? _Since it was already as big as he was, I was able to use his shield as a stretcher, picking him up carefully and giving the signal for the other guard to come take my place.

Gavin came instantly, looking startled when he saw the kid. "Who's that, sir? What happened?"

"Just take my post," I answered tersely, walking to my house and knocking softly before entering.

My wife bolted up when she saw me, her eyes wide. "Tannin!"

"He's wounded badly, Alice." I set the boy on the table, taking his shield off of him and setting it to one side before unsheathing my knife and painstakingly cutting away his tunic, setting the leather belt and sword to one side. His tiny chest was rising and falling unsteadily as he took his breath in short, shuddering gasps, and I used his already ruined tunic to staunch the blood flow in the arm wound. "Get me my medical kit," I commanded, causing my wife to bolt to the kitchen. She came back moments later, setting the bag next to the boy on the table before withdrawing to her rocking chair.

"Who is he? What attacked him?"

I opened the bag and took out bandages and clean cloth, then ran to the kitchen and field a basin with water, going back out and washing out the wounds as best as I could. "I don't know his name, and I don't know what attacked him. He went up the Death Mountain Trail earlier saying that he had to see the Gorons. He had an official letter from the royal family, so I let him through, but now I regret it."

The blood flow had stopped now, and I prayed that he hadn't lost too much of it as I bound the wounds tightly before checking his pulse. His heart was beating strongly, even though he was struggling to breathe, and I made sure that he was lying flat as I carefully felt his torso. Sure enough, he had three cracked ribs, and his right leg was bent awkwardly. I knew without needing to feel it first that it was broken, and set the break as best as possible, hoping that the poor kid would be okay. I bound the blade of my knife in thick leather before using it as a splint, knowing that anything else I had wouldn't be short enough.

"Will he be okay?"

"I'm not sure. We'll know when he wakes up. For now, I just need to keep him breathing." Satisfied that he was stable for now, I removed my armor, stacking it in one corner along with my spear before changing into civilian clothes. "Is Ryan asleep already?"

"Yes, he was a few hours ago."

I sat down next to the child and put my hand under his head, holding him carefully so that his airway was unobstructed, then glanced at Alice. "Why don't you go get some sleep? I can take care of him for now, but I'll call you if I need anything."

She nodded, then turned and went up the stairs to the second floor, and after a little while, I heard the creak of the mattress as she lay down. I stared down at the kid, wondering who he was. I'd never learned his name. He looked Hylian, but his clothes were strange, as though he wasn't from Hyrule at all. _Hopefully he'll pull through._

* * *

A/N1: Aha! So Tannin already figured that he's Hylian! :D Of course, poor Link doesn't learn that until he's an adult, but...whatever. What do you think beat him up like that? A Skulltula? A Lizalfo? A Tektite? Maybe even Darunia? XD Leave your guess in the review, and if you guess correctly, you get a free internet bowl of ice cream! ^_^

A/N2: Tannin has medical knowledge, yes. He is a soldier, after all, and knows battlefield medic stuff. The medical kit...well, consider it a medieval version of a first-aid kit. The shield became a stretcher! I _knew_ there was a good reason for why it was as big as he was! =D If you're wondering why he didn't seem urgent or panicky when he found Link, it's because he's a _soldier_. Soldiers tend to be trained to keep their cool during serious situations.

A/N3: Yes, I'm sticking a ton of author's notes into this scene, but I wanted to apologize. I'm lousy at writing angst and stuff like terrible wounds, so forgive me if Link's condition didn't seem that serious and life-threatening. But when a tiny kid like him has deep wounds, blood becomes very vital, and if he had lost too much of it, he'd die.


	3. Keaton

**Keaton**

Bright rays of sunlight shone through the front window, causing me to squint and groan, then I felt a faint shifting, and I glanced down, seeing that the kid hadn't moved, but his eyes were half-open. He was frowning up at me, and I sat erect, sliding my hand out from under his head carefully. "You all right, kid?"

His lips moved, and I was barely able to make out his thin, cracked voice. "Water."

"Okay, kid, I'll get you water. Don't try to move." I stood and got a cup, filling it and going back to him, helping him sit up slowly with one hand. I propped my free hand under his back to hold him steady as I held the water to his mouth. He drank eagerly, then when he had finished, he stared at me quizzically.

"Who are you?"

"Tannin."

His eyes flickered with recognition. "You…you look…different."

I chuckled softly. "Well, I was wearing armor before."

"Oh. That's why. Your voice seems a little different, too."

"Because my helmet was distorting it. How do you feel?"

"I hurt everywhere. Especially my leg and sword arm."

_His sword arm? If he thinks that tiny knife is a sword, it's no wonder he got beat up like that._ "You were badly wounded."

He frowned. "Where? What injuries do I have?"

"You want the details?"

"Yes."

_Brave kid._ "You have a broken leg, three cracked ribs, cuts all over the place, and your were stabbed through the arm. I think you might have a few burns, too. What attacked you?"

He shuddered. "King Dodongo."

"King _what_?"

"Dodongo. A fire-breathing monster that was inside Death Mountain. I…I fought it. It was what kept the Gorons from entering their caverns to harvest rocks. I killed it, but…"

I was astounded. "You fought a fire-breathing monster with nothing but a knife?"

"Sword," he corrected, his cheeks flushing with color. "The Kokiri's Sword." _Kokiri? What is that?_ "And I didn't just use my sword, I used bombs, too."

"And just where do you have bombs?"

"In my belt pouch." He looked around. "Where am I?"

"In my house in Kakariko. So that thing did quite a number on you, huh? Why did you go up the mountain in the first place?"

"I'd rather not talk about it. It's between me and Zelda."

_Him and Zelda? That princess had better not be sending this kid into danger deliberately. _"Well, I'm not sure how long it'll be until you're well enough to go home, but you just rest easy, okay?"

He nodded. "Thank you, sir."

I frowned at him. "My name's Tannin. I'm not your superior, so don't go calling me 'sir.'"

He smiled. "Okay…Tannin."

"You're awake!" Both of us turned to see my son leaning over the stairs with a wide, happy grin, then he bounded down and up to me. "Dad, you were sleeping with your head hanging off the table." I watched amusedly as he did an impression of how I had supposedly been asleep. "and you _both_ were snoring."

The kid gave my son a comical look of outrage. "I do not snore!"

He giggled. "Yeah, you do."

"Okay, enough." I looked at the kid. "This is my son, Ryan."

"My name's Link." He looked at me. "Where's my belt?"

I picked it up and gave it to him carefully, then stared in surprise when he pulled out a mask that was far bigger than the pouch, and I eyed the thing. It was painted a bright, almost blinding shade of yellow, with narrow eyeslits painted black around the edges and long, pointed ears. My son's eyes went huge. "A Keaton Mask! Wow! Those are super-expensive!"

I cocked my head. _What the heck is a Keaton?_ Link smiled, holding it out to my son. "It's for you, Ryan."

I stiffened. _Wait…what?_ Then it hit me. _He…he actually remembered._ I watched as my son took the mask almost reverently, then he put it on. "Wow! Lookit me, Dad; I'm Keaton!"

I chuckled as he ran headlong out the door, no doubt to find his friends and show it off. "I didn't actually expect you to get a mask."

Link shrugged. "I always keep my promises."

"But you never actually promised anything."

"Yes I did. You just didn't hear me say it out loud."

I suddenly remembered something. "Ryan said it's expensive. When my son describes something as expensive, he usually means something over two hundred rupees."

The boy grinned. "I got a bigger wallet."

"When?"

"A man gave one to me when I freed him of a curse."

"You do a lot of hero work, eh?"

He shrugged again, this time awkwardly. "I….I like to help people. I need to heal as fast as possible so that I can continue on."

"Okay, I'll help you heal, but first, Link…"

"Yes?"

"What the heck is a Keaton?"

He laughed at me in spite of his cracked ribs. The darned kid actually laughed at me.

* * *

A/N1: Yes, Tannin is a clueless adult who knows nothing about the latest trends. XD I always thought it was amusing how he refered to it as a Kee-something mask in the game, and trust me, that phrase will appear later on, too. Link always keeps his promises, that's for sure. XD

A/N2: I know, Tannin never saw Link going into the Skulltula House, but in case you never noticed, those darn helmets that the soldiers wear limit visiblity. And as for WHEN he went into the Skulltula House, it was just before he went up the mountain the first time. Sorry I didn't clarify that.

A/N3: Poor Link. It'll be weeks before he can resume hero work.


	4. Back Into Action

Okay, I know this is a time-lapse right here. Personally, I don't much like skipping things, but I didn't want to bore anyone by detailing the long days of recovery that could have unsettled to your stomach. So, two weeks have now passed. Keep that in mind.

**Back Into Action**

Link flinched as I carefully felt his ribs; it had been two weeks, and the stab wound on his arm was no more than a scar, but he still felt occasional pain from it. Astonishingly, the kid had taken to living with my family and spent long hours discussing ghosts with my son. I wasn't sure if his wild stories about the Composer Brothers were true or not, but I didn't mind, so long as he didn't start inspiring Ryan to dig up the gravestones. My boy was rarely seen without that Kee-something mask, and he was always crawling around in the grass and then jumping up to scare passerby. *

I'd lectured him sternly when he did that to Anjo,* the cuccoo lady, startling her so bad that she dropped a glass bottle that shattered over the head of a cuccoo. Although inwardly, I thought it was amusing, I didn't want to encourage his behavior. His latest obsession was trying to scare Dampe, which seemed impossible, but Link was gleefully helping him with a plan. The twelve-year-old seemed to have a lot of fun with my son, which was nice, considering how serious he'd been before. "How am I?" he asked softly.

"It feels like your ribs have healed properly, but there's still some bruising."

He nodded, and I was still surprised by how calmly this kid took such news. I moved down and checked his leg, seeing that it was still somewhat bruised, but doing better. It, too, had fully healed, but for some reason, the break had set slightly crooked as the bones fused back together. His leg was now permanently distorted at a minor angle, because we hadn't detected the error until it was too late, but it was barely noticeable, except for when he walked.

"Can I stand now?"

I nodded, and he slid himself off the table and eased his weight onto the floor gradually, until he was positive that he could do it. He had a mild limp now, but nothing that would hinder his progress considerably; the kid's major concern was that he wouldn't be able to use his 'sword,' although I still didn't know why he needed to be able to fight so badly.

"Walk across the room," I instructed gently, and he complied, his leg dragging a bit. He was perspiring now, but he made it, though when he reached the wall he leaned against it for support.

"Will I ever be able to fight again?" he asked for the third time today, glancing longingly at his tiny sword.

"In time. You're still healing."

He shrugged, limping back towards me and sitting down in a chair. "Tannin, I…I need to go. I've stayed too long already; Hyrule is in danger, and I need to continue on."

I sighed; he'd been talking about leaving for the past four days, and I _still_ was trying to figure out why the kid was so convinced that the Kingdom of Hyrule was being threatened. Even the Gerudos had been quiet and peaceable lately, so there wasn't much reason for his concerns, other than Princess Zelda's stories about her 'prophetic' dreams that she was always having. "You're not strong enough yet, Link. Besides, whatever it is that you need to do, you'll need to learn how to actually use that sword of yours."

"I know," he muttered dejectedly. "But I need to reach the Zoras before anything terrible happens."

I was getting exasperated now. "Look, if you'll stay here another week, I can teach you how to use that blade."

He eyed me skeptically. "But you always use a spear. I haven't seen you use a sword _ever_."

"I'm a soldier. I'm trained to use all forms of weaponry." I gestured to my twin knives; one was strapped to my belt, the other to my lower leg. I'd never actually carried a sword before, but I still vividly remembered the rigorous blade training that I had gone through under Commander Ulric.

"Okay, but can we start as soon as possible? I _need_ to go see the Zoras, before it's too late."

_This kid's tunnel focus goes to the extreme sometimes._ "Yes, we can start as soon as you are physically able to."

Link grinned, then limped over and strapped on his sword belt, looking up at me expectantly. _You've got to be kidding me. He's still wounded._ "Can we start now?"

"Only if you can without falling over," I said with a chuckle.

He took up a battle stance, his right arm curling slightly like he was used to holding a shield on his wrist. I realized that he probably had carried that wooden shield of his for a while. "I can."

"Okay, kid, we can start now." I went over to a heavy, wooden chest where I kept my armor and weapons, opening and pulling out a simple, steel broadsword. His eyes widened, and I knew it was because my blade was taller than he was. "Don't worry, I won't hit you with it. We aren't going to be dueling, just practicing."

I took him outside, seeing with amusement that Ryan was jogging alongside one of the village carpenters in a perfect imitation of his wild, swinging gait. Link giggled softly. "He really likes mimicking stuff. He already started making a wooden sword to look like mine."

I smiled, then stood with my feet slightly apart, my arms loose, and the sword held horizontally with the tip of the blade pointed straight. "If you start from this position, you can usually start off your battle with a stab or upward slash that can be devastating."

I took a step forward and thrust with the blade to demonstrate, then swept upward, feeling kind of surprised at how fresh my old training still was in my mind. Link copied me, his upward slash veering to the right as his limp got in the way of his balance. "I failed," he mumbled, looking annoyed.

"Link, that was great for your first time."

"But I still failed."

I frowned. "Listen, you can't be perfect in everything you do, okay? Sometimes, you're gonna face disappointment, and you're going to have to learn to live with it." He nodded his understanding, but still looked crestfallen, so I smiled at him. "Don't worry, we can adjust these moves to compensate for your limitation. Try again, but this time aim to your left when you slash up."

"Uh…okay." He seemed confused, but obeyed, and I was satisfied when his blade stayed level and in the center. He stared at his sword blade. "What did that do? It stayed."

"Why do you always want to know the technical details?" *

He flushed slightly, but grinned. "I don't know, I just do."

"Your weight automatically leans to the right because of your leg, so when you direct your power to the left, it stays level in the center. When you want to do a leftward swing, you'll have to put more power behind the blow if you want to do any damage."

He nodded again, his eyes glinting mischievously, then swung to his left, sending himself into a powerful spin. He cocked his head and flashed a smile. "I'm already good at doing Spin Attacks, so I can just do them to solve my left-force problem."

I laughed, sweeping my sword to the right in a smooth arc. He copied me, leaning his upper body to the left to compensate for his limp. I winked at him. "There's another effective method you can use with your sword besides the basic slashes and spins."

"Really? What is it?"

"This." I whacked him on the head with the flat of my blade, careful to not actually hurt him, and he blinked, looking surprised, then he lunged at me, tackling me around the legs and sending me staggering backwards. I collapsed into a sitting position, straining valiantly to pry him off of me, but he was latched on as securely as a leech, whacking my shoulder with the flat of his sword repeatedly.

The fact that I was laughing didn't help with my attempts to dislodge him either, and I found myself flat on my back with his sword to my throat. "Do you surrender?" he asked, grinning.

"Never!" I rolled over, pinning him under me and relieving him of his sword, then a third person jumped onto my back, and Link wriggled out from under me and joined the person in flattening me securely against the ground. "Mercy, please!"

They laughed, and I realized that the third person was Ryan as they jumped off, Link retrieving his sword and sheathing it. "Wow, the great knight was vanquished by two children."

I glanced over at Gavin, who was leaning against the Mountain Trail gate with a smirk. He'd been taking over my watch along with another soldier for a while, because I'd had to take care of Link. I grabbed Ryan by his shirt and lifted him up for the man to see. "He's not a child, he's a ReDead."

Accordingly, Ryan growled, pawing at the air, and I dropped him again only to have him scramble up onto my shoulders. Gavin just shook his head. "More like a Mad Scrub."

* * *

* Yes, Ryan imitates Keaton the fox by hiding in the grass. XD I just had to put that in there.

* The Cuccoo Keeper Lady in Ocarina of Time is never actually given a name. In Majora's Mask, where everyone there is an alternate version of the people in OoT, the lady is called Anju. But I didn't want to use that name, because she's an alternate version of the Cuccoo Keeper, so I changed one letter, and named her Anjo. And Anjo is actually a word meaning 'Angel,' for those of you who want to know.

* Link strikes me as an analytical child. :) He always wants to know the details.


	5. Gone

**Gone**

Link was gone. I had woken up in the early morning to find him and all of his possessions missing, with a small note tucked into my sword's sheath. At first, I was angry that he had just up and left without even saying goodbye to Ryan, but then it made sense as I read his elegantly written letter.

_Tannin, I'm know I left so soon without warning, but last night I had a dream. The Zoras' guardian god was ill, and dying, and their water was becoming polluted because of it. I need to go visit them quickly, before anything bad happens. I'm thankful for your tips on swordplay, and I promise I'll keep myself as safe as possible, which may not always be achievable, considering how I'm journeying to save Hyrule from destruction. Tell Ryan I'm sorry._

I was worried for him; I didn't know why the kid was so determined to save Hyrule from an evil that wasn't there. "Dad?" I turned, seeing Ryan on the stairs, a wooden mask in his hands. The thing was carved to look like a ReDead's face, and was honestly really spooky to look at. He glanced down, then looked back up at me. "It's from Link. He left it under my pillow." He came over to me and hugged me, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "He's gone, isn't he?" I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded. "I knew he was going to leave. He was talking about going for a while."

"I…I'm sure he'll come back."

Ryan clutched the mask to his chest. "I hope so."

* * *

A/N1: Link has been known to have prophetic dreams. He dreamed of his battle with the King Dodongo long before it happened, (See the base of his tree house in Kokiri Woods for proof) and he also dreamed of Zelda and Impa's escape from Hyrule Castle Town and the subsequent appearance of Ganon on his black horse. So, it's not all that strange that he knew of Jabu-Jabu being sick ahead of time.

A/N2: The Spooky Mask. I know that, canonically, Link is supposed to sell it to the kid for full price, but in the game, Tannin buys the Keaton Mask for his kid, AND the kid gets the ReDead Mask. I wanted the masks to have more meaning than just sales items.

A/N3: Yes, Link left in the dead of the night without any warning. Our hero isn't too good at saying goodbye to his friends. (See the scene on the Kokiri Bridge with Saria for proof)


	6. Fire

I'm sorry these chapters are so short, but this is the easiest way for me to publish new scenes quickly, and it's easier so that I'm not having to do a ton of linebreaks.

**Fire**

A day had passed, and there were dark clouds gathering on the horizon. At first, I thought it was merely another rainstorm brewing, but then I realized that the clouds were hanging over Hyrule Castle, and nowhere else. I somehow could feel that something strange was going on, so I put on my armor, strapped on my sword and knives, then grabbed my spear and called Alice and Ryan.

My wife looked scared, and I knew it was because of how I had suddenly dressed for war. "I want you both to stay in the house. Don't leave, no matter what you hear, okay?" She nodded, and I knelt down to face my son, placing one hand on has shoulder. "Ryan, you stay with your mother. Don't leave her side."

He donned his ReDead mask. "Okay, dad, I'll protect Mom."

I chuckled halfheartedly, then straightened up and kissed my wife. "Keep the door locked; don't open it for _anyone_."

"Okay, Tannin. Be safe."

I nodded, then turned and left, waiting until I heard the click of the lock before going to the gate. "Gavin, any word from the Castle?"

He shook his head. "No, sir. Back on duty, eh?"

"Yes. Did you notice those clouds over the Castle?"

"Yeah, but they look like rain clouds."

"They are only in one spot, and are hazy and far too dark. They're almost black. I don't think those are rain clouds."

Gavin opened his mouth to respond, then a streak of orange flame shot down from a cliff, lighting the windmill on fire. A scream ripped through the air, and I spotted a lizard-like creature clinging to the cliff, wearing steel armor and holding a long lance. A man's body was impaled on the end of it. "What the-?"

"Get down!" I shouted, slamming into him as a rain of arrows came from the sky, then thousands of lizalfo and dragolfos climbed down the cliffs in a swarm, entering the town. I got off of Gavin and pulled him to his feet, then lunged and stabbed one of the creatures through the chest with my spear, whipping out my knife and throwing it into the throat of another. "Don't just stand there!" I roared at him. "Fight! They're overtaking the town!"

He seemed shocked into action, wielding his spear skillfully to take out two more lizalfos, and I rolled to one side to avoid a streak of flame sent at me by one of the dragolfos. I stabbed it, then whipped its body around and hit three others with the corpse, knocking them down. _Where did they all come from? There are too many of them!_ I realized with dread that there were only eight soldiers in Kakariko; not nearly enough to repel this force, and to make matters worse, there was a horde of tektites climbing over the gate from Death Mountain. "We need reinforcements!" Gavin shouted.

I nodded, dodging another jet of fire that set the Shiekah's house on fire, fighting my way to the lookout tower. I climbed up, slashing a few skulltulas in half before I made it to the top, seizing hold of the horn and blowing it three times.* The call echoed over the hills, but, from my high vantage point, I could see a massive flood of monsters heading straight towards Castle Town from across Hyrule Field.

_We're not getting reinforcements,_ I realized, my heart sinking, then I remembered Alice and Ryan. I climbed back down, running and dodging until I reached the door, but then something sharp hit me, and I collapsed, my vision blurring as a dragolfos stared down at me, ready to end my life with a burst of flame.

* * *

* Kakariko has a military presence, however small, so I assumed that the lookout tower would have some way to signal for help if they ever needed reinforcements. I know that, in the game, you only find three soldiers in the village, but those three soldiers would need to take breaks every now and then, so that they could sleep.

A/N: Just as a warning to you guys, some seriously horrible stuff happens in the next chapter. And by horrible stuff, I mean the deaths of some much-loved characters. There will also be quite a bit of depression. Sorry. :/


	7. Pain

**Pain**

"Tannin, can you hear me? Are you okay?"

I felt constricted, and when I opened my eyes, I saw the cuccoo lady, Anjo, above me. I glanced to my right, seeing that I was inside Cedany's* house, and I reached up and lightly touched my chest, where I could feel a bandage. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember? We were attacked."

I struggled to sit upright. "I remember the attack, but how did I get here? Are Alice and Ryan okay?"

Her eyes flickered with sadness. "Mutoh killed the dragolfo that was above you with his Biggoron sword and dragged you here. Many villagers were murdered, though."

I grabbed her by the shoulders urgently, ignoring the pain flaring in my chest. "Where are Alice and Ryan? Tell me!"

She didn't reply at first, then, haltingly, she spoke. "They…oh, Tannin…a dragolfo set your house on fire."

"Don't say it!"

She hugged me. "I'm sorry, Tannin, but they weren't able to get out before the structure collapsed. They…they're gone. We recovered Ryan's body, but Alice…"

_No, how…how could this happen? Where did those monsters come from? How can I bury my own son? How can Alice be gone? No, this can't be happening, how could I have failed them?_

Anjo's comforting words were lost on me as I poured out my grief, longing for my wife and son.

* * *

*Cedany is the unnamed woman from that one house in Kakariko Village that's at the base of the stairs.

A/N1: Noooo! Alice and Ryan are dead! I hate myself so much for writing this chapter!

A/N2: On a calmer note, even though Alice was kind of detached from the story, she was still Tannin's wife, and thus, while you guys may not be feeling much grief over her death, he certainly is. I seriously hate myself for writing this chapter, but it needed to be written. You guys can punch me for killing Ryan if you want. *Paints huge, bright red target on back, moments later, an angry reader shoots Praca.*

A/N3: Currently, Link is inside the Temple of Time, Ganondorf has just stolen the Triforce, and Hyrule Castle Town was overrun. Kakariko survived, however, thanks to the carpenters. Even though they were lazy and cowardly, carpenters are still physically strong enough to take down a lot of monsters.

A/N4: Don't worry, even though the Angry Reader shot me, I'm still alive and still writing this. Oh, and remember my earlier comment about Tannin not owning a sword? Well, that was obviously a lie because of his sword training with Link, but on a different note, he gets a new sword.

A/N5: I reason I ended this scene like this was because I was crying and I didn't want to wallow in Tannin's grief over Ryan and Alice being dead. There's going to be a time-lapse in the next scene, just so you know. I don't want to spend the next five chapters talking about Tannin's grief over his wife and son, so I'm just skimming lightly over that.


	8. Setoff

**Setoff**

"His name is Ganondorf."

I looked up from my drink and stared wearily at Fendrel, who was leaning heavily against the wall of one of the buildings. "What?"

"The guy who took over Hyrule Castle; his name is Ganondorf. They say he's a Gerudo."

"Where did you hear this?"

"One of my former customers who used to run errands at the castle. By the way, that reminds me, I'm going to have to start up my bazaar again…only problem is finding a place to do so."

_A Gerudo? But they're all female. Since when were there male Gerudos?_ I sighed, downing my drink before standing and strapping on my sword. I hadn't used spears at all since the attack, because otherwise I'd be easily recognizable as a former soldier because of my fighting style. I'd never fought with a sword, but I was getting better at it. It had been a month since Hyrule had been transformed from a peaceful kingdom to a den of monsters, and I had been forced to assume an alias and new occupation to hide who I had been; all other Hyrulean soldiers had been killed, with the few survivors going into hiding, like me. I now went by the name Merek Forthwind.

Since the attack, I had buried my wife and son, along with many other villagers, such as Dampe, the gentle, kindhearted gravekeeper whom my little boy had so admired. I had buried him next to my son. Ryan would have liked to be so close to the man he'd strived so hard to imitate. Link had never returned, and Death Mountain now had a strange, eerie cloud of fire over it. No one had heard from the Gorons since the attack, and we had lost communication with the Zoras, too.

Fendrel gave me a look. "Where are you planning on going? I've seen you packing rations for the past week."

"Someone needs to fight those monsters. I'll start at Hylia, and work my way north." I left and went to Anjo's house, which had been rebuilt since the attack, as had the windmill. She looked up at my entry, and I gestured wordlessly to her pantry.

She hurried and pulled out a traveling bag, handing it to me carefully. "I included a canteen."

I shouldered the bag, then went to the door. "I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but you have my thanks for all you've done for me."

Anjo nodded. "Good luck."

I smiled halfheartedly. "I'll certainly need it, considering where I'm going. Oh, and can you do me a favor?"

"Yes, of course."

"If you ever see a kid who goes by the name of Link, tell him what happened to the town. And tell him…he was right. Evil was lurking to destroy Hyrule, and I was a fool to have been blind to it."

"I remember that boy," she said with a soft smile. "He helped me gather my cuccoos when they all escaped their pen. Such a sweet, generous child, always helping others. Don't worry, I'll tell him."

I said goodbye, then exited the house, leaving Kakariko and heading south. Lake Hylia had reportedly dried up, and I wanted to confirm whether or not it was true. Not only that, there were supposedly thousands of tektites there. It was a good enough place for me to go while I honed my sword skills. Tektites made good targets.

* * *

A/N1: Fendrel is the Bazaar Owner. He was never given a name in the game, so I gave him one. XD

A/N2: You'll see throughout this story at certain points that Tannin is still haunted by the deaths of his wife and son, but he's not all miserable like before.

A/N3: Yes, Tannin is starting to do some mild hero work. I wasn't kidding about the tektites, and he'll spend a while clearing the lake of those monsters, but they keep on coming no matter how many he kills.

A/N4: The Gerudo make their first appearance in the next chapter. ;)

A/N5: For those random linguistic fanatics, the word setoff can also mean start out, get going, or hit the road.


	9. Gerudo

Another time-lapse here. Sorry, folks, but six years and eleven months have gone by. :P

**Gerudo**

A lot of people say that things get better in time. I'll tell you this much: in Hyrule's case, things only got worse. Now the forest to the southeast was overrun with monsters, and the Gerudos had taken over the ruins of Castle Town, building their brothels and trade markets, although the majority of the place was still just smoke and ash. Even the ranch in central Hyrule was a different place, run by a tyrant instead of the gentle, easygoing man who had owned it previously.

I had driven out most of the tektites in Hylia, but still more came from beneath the water, and I had a feeling that they were originating from the Zoras' sacred Water Temple, a place that I could not reach. Because of this, I was forced to maintain a constant vigil over the place to protect the two, stubborn people who still lived here.

They refused to move and seek refuge elsewhere, and my efforts to protect them only made them more confidant that the monsters would not bother them. I didn't have the heart to just abandon them to their fates, so I was stuck. It was in this way that six years and eleven months passed, and in that time I grew steadily stronger in my ability with a sword, until I could repeat even the most complex maneuvers with my eyes closed.

"D'ya wanna try this?" Althalos asked, proffering a vial filled with bright purple liquid. "It'll increase your reaction time…I think."

"No, Doctor, my reaction time is fine the way it is," I answered patiently. This was the tenth vial he had offered me this morning. He always tried to get me to try out his latest concoctions, and, wisely, I kept refusing, though I was always polite. No need to upset someone who knew how to make acid that could boil a man from the inside-out.

He looked disappointed. "You sure?"

"Yes, Doctor, I'm sure."

He turned and set the vial down, then held up another one, this one filled with something red. "I got a sample of this from an old student of mine in Kakariko; she calls it red potion. It heals any wound instantly when you drink it. Do you want some?"

"No, thank you, I'm not wounded."

He held up a green vial. "This enhances your magical ability."

"I don't have magical ability, therefore that particular potion would be useless to me," I responded.

He set it back down, then rummaged through his stacks of vials again. I inwardly groaned when he showed me a blue-filled one. "This is blue potion," he said proudly. "It enhances your magic ability _and_ cures any wound, as well as strengthening your physical form."

"I'm going outside," I said respectfully, standing up and leaving, suddenly annoyed by him. Of course, on second thought, it probably would have been more desirable to stay inside. A patrol of fifteen Gerudos were standing by the lake's edge, inspecting the water, and one of them dove in, then came back out a few moments later.

I started to back up to return to the doctor, but then one of them noticed me and let out a shrill cry. I bolted away from the research laboratory, not wanting to draw attention to Althalos, and headed towards the canyon that led to Hyrule Field. What I failed to consider was the fact that the Gerudo had horses, and I found myself thrown flat when something long and solid hit my legs.

"Don't move," a fierce voice commanded, and I felt a sharp object pricking the back of my neck as two of the warriors hauled me to my feet and bound my hands behind my back with rope.

I sighed as they removed my sword and knives, then one of the warriors stared at my neck, where I had a tattoo of the Triforce as a reminder to myself just what it was that I fought for. "You are affiliated with the Royal Family?" she asked.

"No, I just thought the symbol was pretty," I spat back.

One of them slapped me across the face, but I didn't bother reacting to that, knowing that every word I said would either help or hurt me. "Men should know their proper place," the leader said, poking me with her sword.

"And you should not interfere with others' business. I did no wrong; you have no cause to take me."

Another looked me up and down. "We could have a cause…"

"I'll die before you break me," I replied calmly, knowing just what 'cause' it was that she referred to. In Gerudo's minds, there was only _one_ use for males, and it wasn't a use that I particularly approved of. "So in light of that, could you just let me go?"

Their leader glared at me. "Once the Gerudo take prisoners, we do not set them free unless they are dead."

"You seem very pleasant," I said dryly, then noticed that, out of all of their bay horses, one of them was reddish-furred mare with a white mane and tail. Definitely not the Gerudo standardbred, and I realized that they must have stolen her. "Nice horse," I commented, gesturing to the reddish mare.

The mare's rider reined in the horse possessively, and in response the creature whinnied and reared, slashing at the other Gerudo with it's forehooves. They all shouted and moved back, yanking me with them, and I watched in horror as the mare's rider began whipping her, opening long cuts on her flanks. The horse snorted and tossed her head wildly, but the whip seemed to subdue her, and she fell still, her legs shaking.

I sympathized with the poor creature, but there was nothing I could do for her when I was in the same predicament. The Gerudos had decided that it would be a fun idea to tie my arms around the neck of one of their horses for the duration of the trip to the Gerudo Valley, so that by the time the beast stopped galloping, my legs were slashed from the horse's hooves and my arms were on fire and felt like they were going to fall off. Of course, I couldn't walk after that, so they kept me tied to the horse and led the creature into their fortress until we halted in front of a pair of steel prison cells.

To my surprise, the one held one of the carpenters from Mutoh's crew, and he looked at me with both shock and pity as two of the warriors untied me and dragged me into the other cell, dropping me roughly onto the floor and leaving me there, slamming the door shut and securing it with a large padlock.

I remained where I had fallen, moving my arms to gradually ease the life back into them, then, when feeling had finally returned to my hands, I turned over and sat with my back against the wall, tearing off my shirt to use it as a bandage for my leg wounds. Of course, that just attracted the lustful eye of the guard, but I didn't care, so long as she didn't try anything. If she did, she'd understand fully the meaning of the phrase 'Never surrender.'

* * *

A/N1: Did anyone recognize the wild horse that the Gerudo was whipping? XD That's a foreshadow.

A/N2: The Lake Scientist I named Altholos, because he was never given a name in Ocarina of Time.

A/N3: Yes, Tannin is a prisoner of the Gerudos. Poor guy, suffering random torture like that. XD I'm so evil, aren't I? To be honest, I hate writing moments like that where I need to cause pain to the main character, but it's always necessary. And yes, the carpenters are imprisoned at this time. That's also a foreshadow. Both them and the horse are foreshadowing the same thing. XD

A/N4: This is totally random, but yes, I like using the XD emoticon a lot. It's fun. XD


	10. Escape

**Escape**

The guard was pacing back and forth, constantly glancing at me, and I had a feeling I knew why she was so fascinated by my presence. Unlike the carpenters, I was in perfect physical shape, which, to a Gerudo, was attractive. Sadly, that meant I'd most likely die in this place, because I refused to betray Alice by allowing them to have me.

She finally halted in front of the cells, glaring at me, and she shoved her long spear through the bars and prodded me. I ignored her, an action which caused several small cuts to appear on my shoulder, but my refusal to engage seemed to only anger her. "Why don't you ever say anything?" she snapped. "The other prisoners are constantly babbling, pleading for their freedom, and even for _me_. Why do you stay silent, you stupid man?"

I pointedly turned away, and she looked about to hurl her spear at me, when a tall figure ran swiftly from a hallway, pinning her by the neck and cutting off her airway until she collapsed, unconscious. The person knelt, rummaging in the guard's pocket until he found a small object. He then went to the door of the carpenter's cell, unlocking it. The man came running out, looking overjoyed, and I heard hushed whispers of thanks, then he ran away.

The person then came to my cell, and, oddly enough, I saw that he had a limp, yet it didn't seem to hinder him in the slightest. He unlocked the heavy, iron door, then entered, looking me over with piercing, blue eyes. I frowned up at him, seeing that it was a young man, dressed in simple traveling clothes, but there was something oddly familiar about him.

"Can you stand?" he asked. I pointed to my legs wordlessly and shook my head. He knelt and looped one arm around my waist, hauling me up, and I gasped as the motion sent fiery pain through my wounds. The man had to half-carry and half-drag me into a hallway that led upwards until we came out on the roof of the fortress, then he brought me through a new door, stopping in another hallway. Up ahead, I could see a Gerudo pacing the hall, but we were hidden from sight by a large pile of crates.

"Thank you," I said quietly, and the young man smiled, setting me down and peering over the edge of crates calculatingly. "How did you get inside the fortress?" I asked curiously.

He chuckled softly, then pried one of the crates open slightly and peered inside. "Got myself captured on purpose, made a ruckus and acted like a fool so that they would throw me into their least secure cell, then I escaped, jumped and landed on the roof, then climbed through a window."

"Wait, why would you get yourself captured on purpose?"

"A man called Mutoh asked me to help him; said that four of his carpenters had been captured by the Gerudo. Shiro was the last one; I didn't expect to find a fifth prisoner here." He stared at me. "What happened to your legs?"

"They tied me to the neck of a galloping horse."

"What did you do to deserve that kind of special treatment?"

"Made some witty comments."

The man grinned. "I can see why that would rile them. What's your name?"

"Merek Forthwind."

"I've heard about you; the protector of Hylia."

I shrugged. "I intended to guard a lot more than just the lake, but the tektites just kept coming."

He nodded. "Well, you did a good job there." He reached into the crate and pulled out what looked like a bundle of arrows. I watched curiously as he took two in either hand, then passed the bundle to me. "Wait here."

"I don't think I could move if I wanted to."

He smirked, then stood and ran straight at the guard, ramming into her and knocking her out with a swift punch. Then, to my surprise, two more Gerudo guards came, and the man struck them simultaneously in in forehead with the blunt ends of the arrows. They fell heavily,* and he came back over to me, helping me stand again before leading me down the hall into a large room. "We're in the kitchen, which also serves as a spoils room."

He abandoned me to open a few more crates, then pulled out a folded bundle and a long scabbard. A shield was next, and the man unraveled the bundle to reveal that it was a belt and leather pouch. He strapped it on along with the scabbard, and I noticed that the sword hilt was a deep violet color, the crosspiece shaped like dragon wings.

The man then shouldered the shield, and I froze. The emblem on the shield was the crest of the Royal Family of Hyrule, with the Triforce emblazed directly above it. He was wearing a Hylian shield. He came and helped me up yet again, and I frowned at him.

_The shield…he limps and leans his weight to the right when he walks…_I grabbed his shoulders tightly, staring into his eyes. "Link!"

The man stiffened, then his eyes narrowed dangerously. "How do you know my name?"

I could scarcely believe it; this tall, able-bodied man was the little kid that I had known! "You don't remember me? I'm Tannin!"

He looked shocked. "Tannin? I thought you were dead!"

"Thanks very much."

The man, who I now recognized plainly as Link, seemed at a loss for a moment, then he shook his head and sighed. "I spoke to Anjo; she said you'd given her a message over six years ago. I'm sorry I wasn't there when…everything happened."

He delved his hand into his belt pouch for a moment, then gave a frustrated growl before half-dragging me up another ramp and out a door. We were on another section of the roof, and I saw that there were three Gerudos pacing the main area, two guarding a massive, wooden gate, and three more barring the path to a canyon. Link set me down again, then took a small object from his pouch. I saw that it was an ocarina, but unlike most, it was painted blue, with a golden Triforce etched into the mouthpiece. I didn't know what the man was planning, but I decided to trust him.

After all, he was a long way from that small child I had known, and by the mild dents and scrapes on the shield, he had been in quite a number of battles. He winked at me, then his fingers moved lightly over the holes in the instrument, and I listened in wonder as a simple, three-beat song was played. Then a piercing whinny echoed through the fortress, and that reddish mare from before galloped from the guarded canyon, several Gerudos chasing her with whips and lassos.

Before I could comprehend what he was doing, Link had thrown both arms around me and jumped from the roof, landing squarely on the mare's back. I yelled as she reared, but, thankfully, the man seemed to have a good grip on her, because he shouted something, causing her to bolt forward through the line of Gerudos and run down a dirt path. She made a tremendous leap over a canyon, but I think the weight of two men must have been too much for her, because her forehooves barely grazed the other side before the three of us tumbled backwards, plummeting down. The last thing I heard was the mare neighing shrilly, then all went black.

* * *

* I leave you to decide whether or not Link killed the guards. A blow like that with a narrow, blunt object, could easily put a hole in their foreheads, thus killing them instantly, but if he had measured his strength, tey would have only sustained mild head trauma. Again, I leave you to decide whether or not they're dead.

A/N1: Sorry their reunion was kind of anticlimatic, but I didn't want any big, emotional scenes while they were in the midst of enemy terriory. That'd just let the Gerudo know their location.

A/N2: Anyone ever notice how stupid it is that the Gerudos never confiscated Link's sword, shield, and belt pouch? I mean, c'mon, they're _thieves_. In real life, they would have stolen his stuff, and he'd be lucky if they let him keep his clothes. Realistically, even _that_ would be doubtful, considering that Link is young and handsome and the Gerudos see men as breeding stock only, but I wanted to keep this story relatively PG-13. :P Yes, I know this author's note was totally random and didn't really have a point.

A/N3: An epic fail for Epona! XD I always wondered what would happen if she couldn't make it all the way across. Our poor heroes...


	11. Navi and Epona

I realized that, stupidly, Navi had never been with Link when Tannin first met him. So, that is remedied in this chapter. An explanation as to where she was will be provided later on. XD

**Navi and Epona**

Something soft and fuzzy brushed against my forehead, and I opened one eye, seeing the velvety, black muzzle of a horse. The mare whickered, nudging me roughly, and I groaned, then yelped when she bit my hair and hauled me into a sitting position. "Bad horse!" I scolded, and she neighed unrepentantly, shoving her forehead into my chest. I heard laughter, and I glanced to my right, seeing Link seated with his back against a rock, looking very pleased with himself.

"It's about time you're awake. I was afraid you weren't going to make it; you took a nasty blow to the head." He gave the mare an amused look as I tried vainly to push her away, but she decided to lay down and shove her neck up against me, her big, brown eyes gazing up at me. "She wants you to scratch her neck; the girl's a real beggar."

Reluctantly, I followed Link's instruction, scratching the mare's reddish coat. "We're alive?"

He laughed again. "No, Tannin, we're in heaven, where horses rule over man." The mare whinnied as though agreeing with him, and I ignored them both, looking around. I was sitting on the bank next to Lake Hylia, and, shockingly, the water level had raised considerably.

It was now a full-blown lake again, instead of a dried-up puddle. "What happened here?" There were no more tektites, and the water was pure and untainted.

He grinned. "The monster that was in the Zoras' Water Temple was destroyed. All of a sudden, the lake returned to normal."

That was confusing. "What could have killed it?"

Link's face flushed slightly. "Me."

"How could you have gotten down there? The whole place is underwater! _I_ tried to reach the entrance and I couldn't!"

He shrugged. "I had some help."

"You bet you had some help, you lazy kid!"

I jumped in shock, looking around, then I stared at the mare suspiciously. "Please tell me this horse can't talk."

Link burst into laughter yet again, then reached into the collar of his shirt and yanked out a tiny, glowing thing. "Put me down, you great oaf! I'm not a toy for you to play with!"

He showed me the glowing thing, and I squinted, barely able to make out the shape of an impossibly tiny, female person with ethereal, silky wings. "This is Navi. She's a fairy."

"Let go of me!" the tiny creature yelled shrilly, then Link yelped, dropping it. A drop of blood appeared on his finger, and he rolled his eyes. The fairy crossed her arms and glared at him. "Well that's what you get for…_manhandling_ me in such a way! Hmph! Why the Great Deku Tree ever asked me to be your guardian, I'll never know."

The man stared at her in disbelief, then looked at me amusedly. "Sorry, Tannin, she's usually not this moody."

I suppressed a smile as the fairy stamped one foot in the air and flew up to perch on his head. "You're the idiot that went to the Gerudo Fortress; I _told_ you that rescuing the carpenters could wait until after we saved Ruto, but _no_! You had to go and be all heroic!"

He chuckled, looking back at me. "You were unconscious for a full day, in case you wanted to know. Navi and I went and cleared the temple of monsters while Epona watched over you. You'll find that your wounds are healed; Althalos gave me a number of red potions, one of which I gave to you."

I grimaced. "You fed me something concocted by that scientist?"

He grinned, reaching up to grab the fairy. "Don't worry, I had Navi make sure it wasn't poisonous first."

She struggled to get out of his grip, sending off a high-pitched ringing sound that hurt my ears, but Link was holding her by her top two wings so that she was dangling helplessly. "Let go of me!"

"Not until you promise to be nice," he admonished.

I decided to interrupt before their confrontation escalated. "The mare's name is Epona?"

He nodded, letting go of the fairy, who promptly swung her foot, kicking his ear. "Ow! _Navi_!"

She bolted, and he leapt up and took off after her, chasing her all the way into the water. I watched in surprise as they both vanished underwater, then Epona stood and nudged me. I grabbed onto her, pulling myself to my feet, expecting to feel some form of pain, but I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out that Link was right; my wounds were healed. I could walk again.

The horse shoved her forehead against my chest yet again, and I glared at her. "What do you want?" She neighed, shoving me again, then angled her body towards me. I froze. "You want me to ride you?"

She jerked her head up and down, and I wondered how it was that a horse was this intelligent, but I gave in, pulling myself up onto her. It had been years since I last rode a horse, but, thankfully, she was a patient teacher, allowing me to take my time to get comfortable on her back. Well, so I thought. I had barely secured a hold on her mane before she bolted, running at lightning pace down to the bank and halting so suddenly that I flew off her back and into the water.

I floundered to the surface, spitting out water and glaring at her. "What was that for?"

She whinnied, tossing her head, and I got the feeling that she was laughing at me, then Link abruptly surfaced, Navi plastered to the top of his soaked hair. He took one look at me and the amused mare, then chuckled. "I guess she wanted you to take a bath."

" I guess," I muttered, splashing back onto dry land and shaking myself vigorously, soaking the horse.

She whickered, shoving me until I fell backwards, and Link pressed both hands to her neck, stopping her from coming at me any more. "Enough, girl, we get your point."

He removed Navi from his head and set her gently on his shoulder, and I guessed whatever they had done underwater had changed her opinions, because she seemed perfectly pleasant now. "By the way, Link, I owe you. I would've died there if not for you."

He looked embarrassed. "No, you don't owe me, Tannin. Think of it as me repaying you for the kindness your family showed to me."

I cocked my head. "Where did you go, anyway?"

"I told you in the note: I went to the Zoras."

"Yes, but after that?"

"To Hyrule Castle Town to see Zelda again. But then Ganondorf and his monsters attacked the town…" he trailed off, a haunted look in his eyes. "I was powerless to do anything."

"I'm just shocked that you were in the middle of that horde and survived. Don't feel guilty; there was nothing you could have done."

"Link, we need to get to the next temple," Navi reminded the man, who merely rolled his eyes.

"Don't tempt me to stuff you inside an empty bottle."

"You wouldn't!"

"I _will_ if you keep telling me the same stuff over and over again."

"Just focus on finding the next temple!"

He gave me a resigned look. "In case you were wondering, she's _always_ like this. Sorry, Tannin, but I need to get going before she yanks my hair out or something."

I chuckled. "Why don't I come with you? Now that Lake Hylia is back to normal, I have no need to stay here."

Link nodded. "I'd like that. It'd be nice to have company besides a strong-willed mare and a temperamental fairy. We'll need to get a second horse, though, because Epona can't carry us both long-distance. She's strong, but I don't want to tire her."

"Where can we get another horse?"

"Lon Lon Ranch."

"The man who runs that place now is a mean-spirited miser; he won't part with any horses for any less than five thousand rupees."

Link grinned knowingly. "Don't worry about that, Tannin; I straightened him out. He's not in charge of the ranch anymore."

I stared at him incredulously. "You really are Mr. Hero!"

* * *

A/N1: Any die-hard Zelda fanatics will easily recognize Tannin's quote about him being Mr. Hero. In-game, the guard says it when Link gives him the Keaton Mask.

A/N2: Yes, Navi is a brat, but you'd probably be ill-tempered if you had to chase after a hyperactive hero all the time.


	12. Malon

**12: Malon**

It took all day to walk across the field, but when we finally reached Lon Lon Ranch, a fast-moving figure came out of nowhere and bulled into Link, knocking him down. In an instant, the man was smothered in an enthusiastic hug by the young woman who was pinning him down. "Fairy Boy! You came back!"

I chuckled as he strained valiantly to get her off of him. "Yes, Malon, I'm back!" He writhed helplessly, then the woman abruptly kissed him on the cheek and let go, charging at Epona, who whinnied and nuzzled her eagerly.

Link got up hastily, his face bright red, and he backed up until he was safely behind me. "Is she your girlfriend?" I asked amusedly.

He shook his head, but he was blushing furiously, looking like he wanted to hide in a dark pit somewhere. The woman, Malon, finally turned away from Epona and came back to us, peering around me at the young hero. "Is something wrong, Link?"

"No, uh…I'm…I'm, er…fine, er, Malon," he stammered, and I suppressed laughter; the poor kid was smitten.

She shrugged, then stared up at me. "Hello, sir! I'm Malon! Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch!"

"Hi," I replied simply, then I shoved Link forward. "He's here about getting a horse."

The woman looked startled. "What's wrong with Epona?"

"N-n-nothing, Malon, it's just, er…"

"She can't carry the both of us," I supplied helpfully.

"Oh, well, that make sense. In that case…" she stared at me for a bit. "I know of a few horses who might like you."

_Might like me? It's the horse's choice? How interesting. _"I'll trust your judgment then."

Link gave me a relieved glance, then Malon grabbed his hand and began pulling him towards the horse corrals. He looked over his shoulder frantically, and I grinned, pointedly ignoring him as the woman whistled a few, specific notes. Within moments, a well-built, dark bay stallion trotted up to her, and she reached up with her free hand and stroked the horse before turning around and gesturing for me to come. I approached slowly, and she smiled. "Just let him know your scent, and we'll see whether or not he likes you."

I held out one hand to the stallion, who snorted, tossing his head, then took a few steps towards me, sniffing my hand before whinnying and nuzzling me. "Does that mean he likes me?"

"Yes," the woman replied happily. "His name is Tempest, by the way, and if you want to call him, then just whistle, like this." She whistled that specific tune again, and the horse neighed in response.

Link seemed highly interested. "So Epona's not the only one who has a particular song?"

_Okay, he's not nervous when it comes to talking about horses, but he's a complete wreck when he has to talk to her directly. Wow. _Malon shook her head, rubbing Tempest on the forehead. "No, all of them have certain melodies that I taught them." She smiled at me. "Because he likes you so much, you can have him for free, on one condition…"

"And what condition would that be?"

"Come back sometime, and bring Link with you. Every time he's here, he always has to leave immediately on some errand or other, and I'd like to just visit."

_I have a feeling that those 'errands' are just excuses._ "Okay, I promise, I'll make sure Link comes back to visit sometime." The young man shot me a betrayed look, and I smiled innocently at him, then mounted Tempest, who whickered softly and nuzzled my hand. Link got on Epona, then nodded to Malon somewhat awkwardly before turning the mare and galloping away. I sighed, then urged Tempest after him, soon catching up to him by the Zora's River. "She's not going to bite your head off, you know."

Link glanced at me. "I know."

I chuckled. "If you already know, then why do you seem so terrified of her? Do you expect the girl to strip you of all innocence, or are you just at a loss for words?"

He glared at me. "Every time I'm near her, I…I don't know I just…freeze. Like my mind shuts down."

I grinned. "It's called being head-over-heels for an attractive woman, Mr. Hero."

"I do not have a crush on her! She's just a girl!"

I winked. "Exactly. Relax, Link, it's perfectly normal to be attracted to a female of your race. I'd be more worried if you started to fall in love with a Zora."

He groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Thanks for reminding me. I'm engaged to the Zora Princess."

My jaw dropped. "_What?!_"

"It happened by accident!" he said hurriedly. "I needed the Spiritual Stone of Water, but Ruto didn't tell me that it was the Zora's Engagement Ring until _after_ she'd given it to me."

"You're better off having a crush on Malon."

He looked indignant as he dismounted Epona. "I do not have a crush on Malon! Stop saying that!"

I got off of Tempest, grinning again. "So you say, Mr. Hero…"

* * *

A/N1: Ah, the joy of having a friend to tease you...poor Link. Tannin isn't being that helpful in this chapter, is he? XD

A/N2: I am a firm Malon/Link shipper. Anyone who does not like that can just ignore the mild MaLink that is in this story.

A/N3: Tannin has a horse now! :D Next stop: Kakariko Village! Anyone remember what happens there after the Water Temple is beaten? Heh heh heh...


	13. Shadow

I know this scene is so freaking short, but I didn't want to do a linebreak. You'll see why.

**Shadow**

"I smell smoke," Link said abruptly, halting on the stairs.

"Are you sure?" That could only mean fire, and I looked up without waiting for him to reply, seeing a hazy cloud of smoke rising upwards in the direction of our destination. _No! The village!_ I charged ahead, then stopped dead in my tracks. At least three buildings were on fire, with half of the villagers fighting to put out the inferno with blankets, and I wondered why they didn't use the well, then I saw him. A thin, wiry figure standing next to the well, shrouded in blue and white cloth, twin knives in either hand.

_If that's the person who set this village ablaze, I'm going to tear him apart!_ Before I could run at him, however, Link pushed past me, going all the way up to him. "Sheik, what's happened? Why aren't you helping the villagers?"

"Get back, Link!" an accented voice shouted harshly, startling the hero into reflexively backing away. I hurried to catch up to him, wondering who this stranger was, then there was a thunderous crack. I froze, staring in shock as the wooden frame around the well was blasted into the air, and the stranger was abruptly lifted into the air. I heard a panicked yell as he was tossed about, then the invisible force threw him. He hit the wall of a building with a sickening thud, collapsing limply to the ground, and Link gave a furious shout, unsheathing his sword.

I suddenly saw an odd, misty shadow weaving along the ground, making it's way up the cliff and towards the burning buildings before coming back towards the hero and I. Link crouched, his sword held ready, and I unsheathed my own blade, not sure how we could fight a mere specter, then it hit. I heard the young man scream, then I was encompassed by the shadow. I felt a horrible, burning pain, then everything went dark.

* * *

A/N1: The Bongo Bongo strikes! :D I'm really having a lot of fun sticking a new character in alongside Link and Sheik. ^_^

A/N2: No, Tannin is not dead. XD


	14. Nocturne

**Nocturne**

Something was being forced down my throat, and I coughed, lashing out. I heard a yelp, then strong hands pinned me down. "Tannin, calm down!" I complied involuntarily, opening my eyes and squinting up at Link.

He looked worried, letting go of me, and I frowned, swallowing to rid myself of the nasty flavor.* "What happened?"

"We were all knocked out by that shadow. I woke up first, and gave you a red potion, but…" he glanced over his shoulder, and I saw that stranger laying there, Navi perched on his chest. "I'm not sure how Sheik is doing. I don't want to give him anything yet; he's always hidden his face from me, and I'm sure there's a good reason for that. I don't want to upset him."

I shook my head. "Kid, in my experience, you'd be better off saving his life and worrying about annoying him later than not healing him and having him die."

Link tensed. "I know, but I…I just feel that it'd be wrong if I did anything to heal him." He pulled me to my feet, then went over to the stranger, kneeling and staring down at his masked face. "This is honestly the closest I've ever been to him."

"Excuse me?"

He chuckled. "The one time I tried approaching him, he summoned a wall of fire to halt me."

I studied the person intently; now that I could see him from the front, a vivid, red symbol was clearly marked on his chest, shaped like an eye with a teardrop below. "He's a Sheikah?"

"Yes, the last one."

I was concerned now. "You know, he hit that wall pretty hard…"

Link bit his lip, looking anguished. "I know!"

Navi made an odd ringing sound. "Guys, I think he's coming to!"

She flew up to Link's shoulder just as the Sheikah moved his head slightly, opening his eyes. I was slightly intimidated; they were bright red, the color of blood. He was perfectly motionless for a few minutes, then sat up. "Link, a terrible thing has happened! The evil shadow spirit has been released!"

"Shadow spirit?"

He stood slowly, and Link instantly proffered a bottle of blue liquid. The Sheikah took it, but didn't drink it, instead turning to gaze at the well. "Impa, the leader of Kakariko Village, had sealed the spirit in the bottom of the well…but the force of the evil spirit got so strong, the seal of the well broke, and it escaped into the world!"

Link jolted. "Is that what that thing that attacked us was?"

He nodded grimly. "I believe Impa has gone to the Shadow Temple to seal it again, but…she will be in danger without any help!" _Impa? Wait a second…isn't that the name of the Sheikah who guarded Princess Zelda all those years ago?_ Before I could ask, Sheik whirled on the young man, his ruby eyes blazing. "Link! Impa is one of the six sages! Destroy the evil shadow spirit and save her!"

He suddenly looked both startled and determined. "I will, Sheik. But how do I find this temple? Where is it?"

"There is an entrance to the Shadow Temple beneath the graveyard behind this village. The only thing I can do for you is teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple." He pulled a lyre seemingly from out of nowhere. "This is the melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time. Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow!"

He began playing, a strange, haunting tune that resonated through the village and seemed to still the air, and I watched as Link took out his ocarina and began echoing the melody. Navi bounced in time to the beat, and I felt as though I was witnessing a historic event as these two lost themselves to the world. Then Sheik stopped playing, putting away his lyre, and he tilted his head into a bow. Link seemed worried. "What do you know of the temple? What will I encounter?"

"I know nothing, other than it was once an ancient prison, where the enemies of Hyrule were held. Beware, Hero, for under the earth are many foes who still thirst for Hylian blood, not dead, but not alive. You can expect danger at every turn, as well as traps."

Link sighed. "It's never simple, is it?"

The Sheikah stared directly at me. "Do not fear for the village; I will take care of it, and it's people." He turned back to the young man. "I'm counting on you, Link. Do not fail me. Do not fail Impa."

"I won't." Then the Sheikah abruptly shifted, and I found myself with a blade at my throat. Link immediately moved to help me, but I held up one hand to stop him; combating a Sheikah was suicide.

"What is your identity?"

"Tannin Starflare*, Sheikah, though nowadays I go by the name Merek Forthwind. I was once a soldier in Hyrule's army."

The blade didn't waver. "And what is your allegiance?"

I answered without hesitation. "To the people of Hyrule, for whatever need they may have of me."

He withdrew the blade, nodding. "Your honesty serves you well, Starflare. I take it you travel with Link."

"For now, yes, unless I am needed elsewhere."

His eyes narrowed. "True. We should all be ready to travel when need arises. You will not be able to follow the Hero into the Temple of Shadow. He alone can take that path."

"Then I will wait in the village for him."

Sheik nodded once more, then sheathed his blade, glancing at Link. "You must go. Play the Nocturne of Shadow, and save Impa." He gave me an apologetic look, then raised his ocarina to his lips and played that song once more. In a bright flash of violent light, he disappeared, Navi along with him, leading Sheik and I standing alone. The man turned wordlessly and pulled down his facial mask, hiding his features from me as he drank the potion, then he obscured his face once more. "Come, Starflare, we must aid the villagers."

I nodded, following him nearer to the blaze, then he muttered a few words, and the flames began to go down. _Magic! He's using magic!_ Soon, the fire went out completely, and he gave a deep sigh, as though exhausted, before going to the nearest villager and speaking quietly. I quickly sought out Anjo, laying a hand on her shoulder, and she whirled around with a gasp. "Tannin?"

"Hey," I said softly. "Are you hurt?"

"N-n-no, but my cuccoos…" she pointed, where I saw the charred remains of the animal pen, the inside littered with several small, scorched bodies. "They…I couldn't get them out in time."

"I'll see about helping you get a new flock," I said gently. "Lon Lon Ranch has many, and they would be willing to help."

"Thank you, Tannin. I was so worried; for the past six years, all I was thinking about was how Alice would come back from the dead and _kill_ me if I let you get yourself hurt!"

I laughed. "I could picture her doing that. Alice always did hate it whenever I got into trouble."

* * *

*In my opinion, all the potions of the Zeldaverse taste nasty. :P

*Why his last name is Starflare is explained later on.

A/N: In case any of you romance fanatics are reading this, NO! Tannin does not feel ANYTHING WHATSOEVER for Anjo! They're just friends!


	15. Dragon Sword

You know how the name of this story was so nonsensical? Well, now it isn't! :D

**Dragon Sword**

"We have done all we can," Sheik said quietly, walking away from the ruined buildings. I followed him again, and, to my surprise, he led me into the graveyard. My gaze instantly wandered to the newest graves, and I went over and knelt before one, tracing the carved name gently. _Ryan. You should see Link now; he's so tall, and carries a real sword instead of that knife. I know he still thinks of you often._ "I miss you so much."

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I glanced up, seeing the Sheikah standing there, his eyes sad. I noticed that his gaze was drawn to the inscription of my son's date of death. "So many perished that day. It is always terrible when one dies, but far worse when it is a child. But come, divert your spirit from such thoughts of darkness. Link is not the only one destined to fight for Hyrule."

"What do you mean?" I asked softly, standing. A long, narrow object suddenly materialized in his hands, and I yelped, backing up. "How do you do that?!"

"My belt pouch is enchanted," he replied simply, but I detected a faint note of amusement in his voice. He held out the object to me, and, cautiously, I took it. "It is called the Dragon Sword. Forged by the dragon, Xahreto, with his fiery breath and his iron claws, this blade was blessed by the six sages and gilded within the Sacred Realm. It is the Master Sword's only equal."

_Is he serious?_ I slowly unwrapped the sword, then gasped, astonished. The blade was of pure silver, with thin, flame-shaped cracks in the metal, and the crosspiece was shaped like a single flame. The hilt was bound with black leather, and the pommel itself was shaped like a dragon's eye, with another ruby as it's pupil. "Why do you give me such a wondrous gift?" I breathed, awed.

I wasn't sure, but by the way the corners of his eyes crinkled, I guessed he was smiling. "Because I know who you are. I know that you intend to fight alongside Link, and I also know that he will need help. The sword that you currently wield will not have any effect on the creatures that inhabit the temple after this one. Once Link helps Impa, there is still another sage that he must awaken."

Something in my mind clicked. "That blade that he wields…that is the Master Sword?"

"Yes. You did not recognize it?"

"I was only a lowly guard in the village. I was never permitted to look at any inscriptions of the blade. The Triforce is the only symbol I know well, and that is because I follow its truths."

His eyes glimmered. "Oh? And what are those truths?"

"Obtain power to aid others, courage to face evil, and gain wisdom to temper those two strengths."

I heard a low chuckle, and Sheik took several paces back from me. "Indeed. You were taught well. Take hold of it; see how it suits you. Unlike the Master Sword, it does not confine itself to one wielder, so you must take care that it never falls into the wrong hands, for if one with an evil heart gains it, the world will come to ruin."

I gripped it one-handed, taking a stance and swinging it to the left. It made a thrumming sound as it swept through the air, and I attributed that to the cracks in the blade; the weapon was marvelously lightweight and seemed to have a life of it's own as I wove it into a figure-eight pattern before lowering it once more. "Thank you, Sheik."

He nodded once. "Be warned: the dragon's blade was infused with magic; you can channel your will into it so that it can cause an inferno more deadly than anything a servant of evil could summon."

I winced; fire wasn't exactly on my list of favorite elements. "I might hold off on that, Sheik."

"I understand."

I looked around the graveyard. "So, where, exactly, is that entrance to the Shadow Temple?"

He pointed, and I saw a narrow ledge blocked by a fence. "There, but you cannot follow him. The temple is accessible only through the melody. We will wait here for him to finish."

"How long does it usually take him, on average, so save a sage and clear a temple of monsters?"

"Only about a day, but I think it may take longer. The temple is far more deadly than any other."

I sat down between Alice and Ryan's graves, the Dragon Sword balanced on my knees, and my hands each resting on the gravestones. "Then I'll wait here for him."

To my surprise, Sheik sat down as well, leaning his back against the fence. "It will be a long wait, but we should be here when he is finished, in case he stupidly gets himself wounded again."

I gave the man a questioning look. "'Again?'"

Sheik winked secretively. "You should have seen him after the Fire Temple."

* * *

A/N: I was always fascinated with the idea of the Master Sword having a cousin. ^_^


	16. Nonsensical

This entire scene is totally random. You have been warned.

**Nonsensical**

Sure enough, we ended up sitting there all day, and as soon as the sun went down, Sheik was forced to erect a magical barrier to keep the poes from attacking us. "Are they always this violent?" I asked as he deflected yet another assault.

"Only to us."

"I feel so honored."

"A graveyard is no place for people who are as full of life as we. It is kept by the dead; those who still live should not be here."

"Then how do you explain Dampe?" I retorted.

"Who said he was full of life?"

I glared at the Sheikah. "I know for a fact that, while he may have been old, Dampe was as fully alive as you and I."

"Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't," was the infuriating reply.

"Why does Link put up with you?"

"Because he has no choice."

"You're more irritating than Navi."

He drew his sword and began sharpening it on a nearby gravestone pointedly. "Do not compare me to that fairy."

I chuckled, then a flash of light cut through the darkness, and I stared as a huge, blue crystal materialized in the air, with Link trapped inside. I stood and rushed towards him, arriving just as the crystal vanished, dropping the hero gently on the ground. He swayed, then collapsed, and I lunged, grabbing him before he hit the ground. "Link, are you okay? What happened?"

He gave me a goofy grin. "Ship started sinking, bells were ringing, stalfos everywhere. Shot bombs, made a bridge, ran across empty space, fell onto a drum. Giant hands, drumming, never stopping, always drumming…" he trailed off, his head sagging back, and Sheik came over and rested one hand on his forehead. Link opened one eye and glared up at him. "Go away! I'm trying to sleep!"

I frowned, confused. "Sheik, why is he acting like that?"

"I'm not sure. Link, did you find Impa? Did you save her?"

He struggled in my arms, then lifted one hand and waved cheerily with a smile. "Sure I found her, but she don't need saving, no sir, she does not. She scares me. Prob'ly scared Bongo, too."

"What is 'Bongo' supposed to mean?" I asked.

He glanced furtively from side to side, then leaned up and whispered in my ear, "Bong boom boom boom bong boom boom boom."

Sheik grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Have you lost your senses, Hero?!"

Link smirked cockily. "How could you think that? O' course I ain't lost my senses…'m sure they're around here someplace…" he reached into his belt pouch, frowned, then shrugged. "Huh, I guess I did lose them. Don't suppose you have 'em, Sheik? Lens of Sense, Lens o' Truth, Lens of Shadow, ringing bells, sinking ships…"

Sheik punched him. I quickly shielded the hero from further assault, glaring at the man, then Link peered around me and grinned lopsidedly at him. "You play nice or I'll tell Impa."

The man was glaring at him now. "Did you save her or not?!"

"Sure did…showed up a bit too late…would've been nice ta have 'er help with the Bongo Bongo…"

"What is the Bongo Bongo?!" Sheik all but screamed at him.

"Inside voices, please," he lectured sternly before sagging, his head tipping back again. "Bongo Bongo is big bag evil shadow spirit thing. Very ugly." I sighed, then picked him up. "Hey, put me down!"

"Not a chance, Hero. You're in no state to walk." I looked at Sheik. "He's obviously not in his right mind. Do you have any potions on you?" The man shook his head. "Then come on." I walked out of the graveyard and to the large, red building.

I heard a shriek when I walked in, then a little old woman shuffled out and whacked me on the head with a broom. "Get out, you ruffian!"

I ignored the broom, laying Link down on the wooden counter. His eyes went huge as he stared at a flickering, red flame that was somehow suspended in midair, and I turned to Sheik. "Keep him still while I reason with her." To my dismay, Sheik's idea of 'keeping him still' was holding a knife against his throat. I shook my head and sighed, deflecting the broom. _Whatever works, I guess._ "Gloriana, stop, don't you remember me? It's Tannin!"

Immediately, the attacks stopped, and the old hag squinted at me. "Eh, so it is, so it is. Should've announced yerself first." She hobbled over and poked Link roughly with her broom shaft. "What you bring to old Gloriana, eh? Looks in bad shape."

"He's wounded."

"Possible brain damage," Sheik added sullenly, still with his knife pressed to Link's throat. The hero in question had a silly grin plastered to his face, as though he _wasn't_ being threatened by a ticked-off Sheikah.

Gloriana cackled. "You know I always ask payment."

I sighed. "Define 'payment.'"

"That's a nice sword you have…"

"No," I said firmly. "Something else."

She stared at me for a long time, then shrugged. "You deliver something for me. That all the payment I need."

"I can do that," I said, relieved. "What's the delivery package?"

She proffered a vial of bright aqua-colored potion. "Take this to young punk in Kokiri Woods. Medicine won't work on monster, but, eh, best I can do for him." She hobbled behind her counter, poking Link one more time with her broom, then disappeared behind a curtain. She came back out momentarily with a vial of something bright purple, then went up to Link and stared at him. "You hear me, boy? You understand what I be saying?"

"You have a big nose," the hero replied bluntly.

She screeched at him, then shoved the bottle into my hands. "I no treat him; he your problem!"

I couldn't stop a laugh as I pocketed the vial and picked him up again. "Come on, Sheik, let's go before he gets in trouble."

The man seemed annoyed. "He's already been in enough trouble."

I shook my head, going back outside and laying the hero down in the grass, then held up the vial in front of him. "You see this, Link?"

"Yep," he replied cheerfully. "Looks like a squashed leever."

I sighed. "You need to drink this."

He stuck out his tongue. "No way! It looks nasty!"

"Don't make me force-feed you, kid."

Link glared at me defiantly, then Sheik pressed the very tip of his knife against the young man's throat. "Drink it," he hissed.

Reluctantly, he obeyed, then his eyes rolled back and he fell backwards. I frowned. "I sure hope she didn't give us a potion that killed him, otherwise we're in a lot of trouble."

* * *

A/N: I always wondered what Link would be like if he had brain damage. XD

A/N: Have you ever noticed how many times the Bongo Bongo smashes you and wallops you? I'd be shocked if Link's thought patterns remained normal after that beating. And the name Bongo Bongo sounds like something a child conjured.


	17. Castle Town

**Castle Town**

Sheik had decided to vanish mysteriously a few hours later, leaving me stuck in Gloriana's backyard with an unconscious hero and a temperamental fairy. So far, the man hadn't even twitched, and I sincerely hoped that the old hag hadn't poisoned him. "I sense he is fine. I would be in that house murdering the old woman if he were not," the fairy said confidently.

"That's nice to know. Do you have any idea what Link was rambling about? Was he just losing his mind, or did it make sense?"

Navi lifted her tiny wings in a shrug, perching on my shoulder. I shivered as her miniscule feet tickled me. "Sinking ship and ringing bells make sense. We encountered the Ferry of the Underworld. After we had ridden it for a while, it began sinking into the depths, and we were forced to abandon it. The ship had two bells on the front of it that began ringing when it moved. While we were on the ship, three stalfos attacked us, and Link was barely able to defeat them in time."

"And the shooting bombs and drumming hands?"

"There was a deep chasm we needed to cross, so he shot a fire arrow at a stack of bombs that was conveniently located at the base of a huge statue. When the statue fell, it made a bridge. We ended up falling down a hole onto a humongous drum. Strange, I know. Inside this room was a gigantic creature with huge hands; it was constantly banging on the drum in a strange rhythm."

"Let me guess," I muttered. "Bong boom boom boom?"

The fairy giggled. "Yes. Link fought it, wounding it greatly, but at one point the giant hands grabbed him and threw him. His head cracked against the wall pretty hard, which is where I guess the brain damage came from. I ended up grabbing Link's spare sword and killing the thing,* because he was in no fit state to be a hero."

"Okay then. Thanks, Navi."

She shrugged, pacing back and forth on my shoulder, her wings tickling my ear. "He'd better wake up soon. If not, I'm going in there and giving that lady a piece of my mind!"

"Relax, I trust Gloriana. Well, kind of. I doubt she'd kill him. She gave us the potion _before_ he irritated her."

"I hope so."

Link shifted slightly, his hand going to his head. I went and sat next to him just as his eyes opened. He stared at me. "Tannin?" He groaned, closing his eyes again. "Where are we?"

"Kakariko Village. Are you back to your senses yet, or do I need to get you another dose of potion?"

"What are you talking about? What potion?"

"He seems normal," Navi said happily, fluttering to sit on Link's head. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"That giant hand coming at me…how did we get out of the Shadow Temple?"

"Impa. She carried you into the Sacred Realm."

"Was the creature destroyed?"

"Yes."

Link sat up slowly, frowning at me. "Strange…for a while, I thought I heard Sheik's voice."

"Yeah, he was here, but he's gone now." I pulled him to his feet. "Are you okay? According to Navi, you suffered a pretty bad wound."

"I feel a little sore, but yeah, I'm fine." His gaze went to my shoulder, his eyes widening. "Uh, Tannin…?"

"What?"

"I know for a fact that your sword does not have a ruby for a pommel. Where did that come from?"

I glanced over my shoulder at the Dragon Sword, which was now safely strapped to my back in a simple, leather sheath given to me by Sheik. The leather was somehow tinted a dull orange, and the edges of the scabbard were gilded with silver, but other than that, it wasn't anything that would draw too much attention. "Sheik."

Link eyed me. "He's never given _me_ any gifts. Darn Sheikah."

"He was muttering something about you needing help to awaken the next sage. Apparently, my old sword wouldn't have any effect on the monsters in the next temple."

He chuckled. "Well, I suppose we should trust him. I'll admit, I'm a little jealous, but Sheik always has a good reason for his actions. The village is okay?"

"Yes. You should have seen him; he put out the blaze with magic alone."

"He's always been like that, doing all kinds of things with magic." The hero reached up and tried to grab Navi, but she swung down and perched behind his ear, clutching a few strands of his hair. "Navi, get off! You're too distracting there!"

"Learn to live with distraction, Link. I'm not moving."

I smiled. "Where is the next temple?"

"I have no idea. It's a pity Sheik didn't stick around to tell me."

"Why don't we go to the Temple to check out the pedestal? There are inscriptions of the medallions surrounding it, so maybe we'll find something there," Navi suggested.

"Pedestal?"

Link shrugged. "The Pedestal of Time, where the Master Sword was. It's a good idea; I think we should go there." He looked up, seeming to suddenly notice where we were, and I smirked, then climbed up the ladder that led to the area behind the windmill. I heard him following me, then he reached out one hand and stopped me. "What are we doing up here?"

I shook off his hand, jumping off the edge and landing in a crouch in front of the door that led into the windmill's inner workings. After a long moment, he followed, landing and rolling forward to absorb the impact. Something occurred to me, though. "How will we reach the Temple of Time? It's in Castle Town, which was obliterated."

Link sighed, then began walking, and I followed him through the village and out into Hyrule Field. Our horses were gone, and he rolled his eyes, then took out his ocarina and played that same, three-beat song from before. He then lowered the ocarina and listened, his head cocked slightly. I sincerely doubted that Epona could have actually heard him, but before I could voice this, I heard hoofbeats, and she came galloping over a hill, Tempest running swiftly behind her. Link ran at her, grabbing her neck and using his momentum to swing onto her back, then he steered her away, heading northward.

I mounted Tempest and gave chase, but, sadly, Epona was far faster than my horse, and she beat me easily. By the time I reached the destroyed remains of the castle drawbridge, Link had already dismounted and sent her away. "I hope you're good with your sword."

I raised an eyebrow. "Link, I'm old enough to be your father, and I've been a knight since I was nineteen. Don't question my ability."

He grinned, unsheathing the Master Sword. "Okay, old man, let's see how good you really are."

"Are we expecting danger in the town?"

He scanned the broken drawbridge critically. "Let's just say that I know what's in there. Ganon built his castle where Hyrule Castle used to stand, and he has cursed beings roaming through the ruins of the town. I had to fight many of them when I first left the Temple."

"First left?"

"Sometime, I will tell you why I was not able to aid Hyrule when Ganondorf invaded with his monsters. But now is not that time." He took a running leap, clearing the moat easily, and I followed, barely making it over. He scanned the area warily, and I was struck by how different he seemed now. Before, he had just been changed radically from a little boy to a grown man, but now I could see in his eyes that he was skilled and had already been through many battles. He jerked his head towards the cobblestone path. "Come. We must move swiftly and silently; I do not wish to awake the evil that sleeps here." I unsheathed the Dragon Sword, causing Link to gasp softly. "Sheik truly is mysterious. That blade is as beautiful as the Master Sword."

"I'll tell you what he told me of the blade later, after we leave this place." He nodded, then and forward silently, his limp barely noticeable. I followed, then jumped when I saw a shadow shifting in a crumbled alleyway. "Link…"

He froze, unslinging his shield from his shoulders and holding it. "I see it." Before I could ask what it was, the tall, emaciated figure came forward with shambling steps, and I stiffened with horror; it was all skin and bones, with wide, black pits where its eyes should be. It was like a living corpse. "A ReDead," the hero said quietly. "Don't look into it's eyes, for if you do, it can trap you."

I quickly averted my gaze from its eyes, then the thing opened it's mouth, displaying rows of dripping fangs, and a most awful scream ripped the air. Reflexively, I swung my blade, cutting through the thing's right arm, severing it. Link pounced as it screamed again, stabbing through its throat, and the thing shuddered violently, then exploded in a cloud of black shadow, vanishing.

I shuddered. "To think that such a creature could exist."

"The first time I encountered one of them, I nearly died. I was forced to confront my fear and triumph when I met a roomful of them in the Shadow Temple. Come, we must hurry."

He went forward once more, end we soon emerged into the main square. Well, what remained of it. The once splendid, bustling town was no more than a skeleton of it's former glory, with the only building still standing being the imposing structure of the Temple of Time. Link and I reached it quickly, entering, and the hero slammed the heavy, wooden doors shut before he relaxed, sheathing the Master Sword. I also sheathed my blade, staring at the grand edifice.

There were three, glowing stones resting on the black pedestal that had once sat empty, and I wondered where they had come from. One was a shining emerald, another a glistening ruby, and the third was a sapphire, each one fashioned into a unique symbol.

"What are they?" I asked.

Link gazed at them. "Those are the three Spiritual Stones of Fire, Forest, and Water. It was they that Zelda commanded me to gather." He bowed his head, looking ashamed. "It was because of me that Ganondorf was able to obtain the Triforce of Power."

"The blame does not rest on your shoulders."

Both of us jumped, turning in unison to see the familiar shape of a Sheikah walking from behind a pillar. "Sheik!" Link exclaimed.

"Yes. It is good to see you behaving normally again. You are not at fault for what happened. The blame rests with Ganon alone."

"But I'm the one who opened the Sacred Realm!"

"If you had not, the dark one would have obtained the Ocarina of Time anyway, as well as the three sacred stones, and you would not have been here when the Realm was opened. It was because you opened the Sacred Realm that we have a chance to stop him."

Link seemed at a loss, then he sighed. "I suppose I should believe you, but it's just…I feel so guilty. I blame myself for not being there to defend the kingdom."

"If you had been here, Ganon would have killed you. You were not strong enough to confront him then. Why are you here?"

"I do not know where the next temple lies. I hoped to find something here that would aid me."

Sheik dipped his head briefly, then glanced at me before returning his attention to the young hero. "In order to awaken the last sage, you must become even more powerful. You have already traveled over mountains, under water, and into fire, but you will have to travel still further, across desert sands…and even through time."*

Link jolted. "Through time?!"

"If you wish to return to your original time, Hero, return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time. By doing this, you will travel back in time seven years."

_Original time? Does he mean…before Ganon attacked Hyrule?_ Link seemed to draw the same conclusion. "Can I stop those terrible events from ever taking place?"

"No. What has happened is done, and you cannot change that. The time will come when you will have to return here quickly…I will teach this to you for when that time comes…the song to return you to the Temple of Time…the Prelude of Light…" the Sheikah spoke slowly, as though hesitant, then he produced his lyre, strumming lightly on the strings. Once more, I witnessed a strange event, as the hero played his ocarina with the man until he had perfected the song, their notes ringing through the Temple and creating a strange feel to the air.

"Sheik…thank you," Link said quietly when they had stopped.

He bowed slightly. "As long as you hold the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword, you hold time itself in your hands. Link, we shall meet again. Journey on to the next temple and awaken the sage."

Link looked startled. "Wait, Sheik!" He ran forward, but the man had already vanished in a flash of blinding light. He sighed, his eyes clouding with disappointment. "Why didn't he tell me where the next temple is? I'm still hopelessly lost."

Navi made that ringing sound again. "Link, he _did _tell you! 'Across desert sands and through time,' remember?"

Link frowned. "Desert sands? But that…"

"That's where the Gerudo are," I finished grimly. "We're not exactly on their list of best friends. A pity Sheik didn't teach you a song to teleport you there."

He gazed at the opened Door of Time. "We need to somehow befriend the Gerudo if we want access to the desert."

"Great," I muttered. "I'll pack my white flag."

* * *

* Navi the Hero Fairy! So many people hate her, so I guessed I'd give you guys a reason to like her. XD

* I made Link learn the Prelude of Light so late in his adventure mainly because I wanted an excuse for Tannin to go to the Temple of Time. ^_^ Don't ask why, because I don't know. And no, Tannin does not go back in time with Link. That's physically impossible.


	18. Negotiations

**Negotiations**

We had left Epona and Tempest at Kakariko, not wanting them to fall into Gerudo hands, and Link had insisted that we be friendly and nonhostile. Apparently, he wanted to get through this with as little bloodshed as possible. I wasn't entirely sure that his plan would work, but I had agreed, so here I was, standing in the canyon that led to the fortress. _Link, I sure hope you know what you're doing._

We walked forward boldly, coming out into plain view of them. Almost instantaneously, there were shrill cries, and Gerudo warriors came flooding down the canyon to surround us. Before any could attack, however, I drew the Dragon Sword, swinging it rapidly in a figure-eight pattern to create that loud thrumming sound. It echoed thunderously in the canyon, and the faster I swung my blade, the more draconic it seemed, until it was a tumultuous roar that stopped them all dead in their tracks.*

Then one of them gave a piercing whistle, and the women raised their weapons, parting like a great sea to allow a woman to walk through slowly. I recognized her as the person who had originally decided to tie me to the horse's neck, and I had to say I wasn't too pleased by her presence, but I lowered my blade. I still held it ready, though, in case she decided to attack. "Your turn, Hero," I muttered.

Link stepped forward, causing the warriors to collectively point their weapons at him. "We come peacefully to speak with your leader."

The woman glowered at him. "Hylians have no place in the valley, especially not in the name of peace."

Link gave her a hard look. "I know that you are _not_ the leader of the Gerudo. Where is Nabooru?"

The women all gasped, and the one who has spoke pressed the tip of her sword against his throat. "How do you know that name?"

_I'd like to know that, too._ "It was told to me by one of your former prisoners here. But how I know her name is not important. Where is she? I wish to speak to her."

The woman glared. "I am Arela, leader of the Gerudos. Nabooru is dead; she perished in the desert."

Link smirked. "You and I both know how unlikely that is. Your people are highly skilled at surviving. I must speak with her."

"She disappeared. The Colossus has claimed her."

"Then allow me to go to the Colossus, and perhaps I can rescue her from whatever may have attacked her."

The women all gasped, and I got the feeling that he was making a tremendous request. "That place is sacred to our people," Arela hissed. "We would never allow an outside to go there."

"Then make me a Gerudo," he retorted. "I must go there."

I frowned at him. _Kid, I think something's not right in your brain. Maybe Gloriana didn't heal you as well as I'd thought. You do realize that they're an all-female group, right?_ As though echoing my thoughts, Arela began laughing, the rest of the warriors joining in. "The only male Gerudo is Ganondorf. Technically, we should be killing you, because you are his enemy."

At this, Link's features softened. "I know that none of you like your king. That, before he came, you were honorable thieves."

_Honorable thieves? As if._ Arela raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Those days are gone. How old are you, anyway?"

"Nineteen."

She chuckled. "A mere child by our years. And what do you know of our ways, eh?"

"I know that stealing from the weak and helpless was strictly taboo before Ganon. That you only stole from those who could defend themselves. I also know that Nabooru is highly respected and you don't want her to be dead. I know that you are her daughter."

_Oh, great. Where did you come up with that notion? I sure hope you're right._

"You assume too much, kid. Yes, she is my mother, but that is not uncommon among us. Hylian concepts like marriage and fidelity do not exist with my people."

Link looked about as emotional as a rock. "Let me go to her."

She shook her head. "You're a stubborn kid. Fine." She raised her voice. "How many of you want to let this child into the desert?"

Silence. Then, one by one, hands were raised, until the only one left who had her hands lowered was Arela. Link smiled. "Thank you."

She grunted. "Your permission into the desert is revoked after you go through the gates for the first time. As soon as you return, you may never enter again, and we do not consider you a friend."

"How charming," I muttered, causing her to glare sharply at me.

Link elbowed me roughly, then gave her his most winning smile. "I promise, we'll find Nabooru."

She scoffed. "I doubt that. You'll most likely end up with an iron knuckle's axe through your head."

"An iron _what_?" I exclaimed.

"The Gerudo elite, immortal and cursed by the Twinrova to forever dwell within the temple. If they attack you, do not expect help. You will not win a battle with one of them."

"What are the Twinrova?" Link asked.

At this, Arela cracked a smile. "Ganondorf's surrogate mothers. They raised him. One encounter with them, and you'll figure out pretty quickly why our king grew to be so messed up."

The women all laughed, as though enjoying some kind of private joke, then they dispersed, returning to whatever duties they had been performing before our invasion. Link glanced at me. "You can sheathe your sword now, Tannin."

"Merek," I growled. "My name is Merek Forthwind. Tannin Starflare was killed in the attack on Kakariko."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Reluctantly, I put away my blade, but kept myself on guard for any attacks. "Don't you think that negotiation was a little _too_ easy?"

"Relax, _Merek_. The Gerudo are known for having a strange sense of humor, and they love gambling with each other; they probably only let us through so that they could take bets on whether or not we'll come back."

"What a pleasant thought. I certainly hope that you have a plan to get us through the desert in one piece."

"Sure I do," he said confidently as we passed through the massive, wooden gate that led to the Gerudo Desert, taking out what looked like a purple magnifying glass. "Follow the Lens of Truth."

"Follow a bloody lens," I muttered, not putting much trust in the magnifying glass' ability. "Brilliant."

* * *

* I just love the Dragon Sword. AKA, the Singing Blade. XD

A/N: I don't blame Tannin for being apprehensive. Consider this: a guy who has very recently had brain damage is insisting that a purple magnifying glass can get them through the desert. Anyone else laughing at how ridiculous that is?


	19. Desert Colossus

**Desert Colossus**

Shockingly, Link's magnifying glass seemed to actually work, because he led me safely across a river of quicksand, through an endless sea of sand dunes, past a creepy flying man trying to sell us bombchus, and into a stone structure that had a skulltula and a rupee-filled treasure chest in it. For some strange reason, Link had pocketed the skulltula's body, yet refused to take the rupees.* Then we went onto the top of the tower. There was nothing there but a stone slab.

"What now?" I asked, looking around. It seemed as though there was an invisible barrier around the tower itself, keeping the worst of the storm away, although some of the swirling bits of sand still made it through. Something told me that whatever spell had formed the shield was starting to fade, perhaps through years of neglect. Even magic faded with time.

"I'm not sure," he muttered, kneeling over the stone and brushing away sand. "One with the eye of truth shall be guided to the spirit temple by an inviting ghost," he read.

"Inviting ghost? What is that supposed to mean?"

"I have no idea. Eye of truth…that could mean my lens." He peered through the magnifying glass again, then yelped. "Okay, I found the inviting ghost. The thing is hovering right over your left shoulder with a lantern, beckoning for me to follow it."

I glanced where he indicated, even though I couldn't see the thing myself. "What if it's a trap?"

Link shrugged, then ran straight at me. I frowned, confused, as he jumped off the tower and began running across the sand dunes. I quickly took off after him, _really_ not wanting to end up trapped in this wasteland, then, out of nowhere, I heard an eerie, whispering voice.

"_I'll be your guide on your way, but coming back, I won't play! I'll show you the only way to go, so follow me and don't be slow!_"

"What's with the rhyming?" I grunted, fighting across the sand until I was running directly behind Link.

"I think it means it's not going to show us the way back."

"So the Gerudo were right; we are going to end up dying here."

"I hope not. Look!"

Up ahead were a pair of tall poles with red flags on them, showing the entrance to some kind of giant, stone arena that turned out to be a huge place that was mysteriously protected from the sandstorm. There was also a gigantic pillar with a scary-looking Gerudo lady carved into it, a huge cobra coiled around her next and forming a crown. "Is that ghost gone yet, or do we have to fight it?"

"It's gone. Disappeared as soon as we entered."

"Link, I hate to complain, but I'm thirsty. Do you know a good way to locate a water source?"

He chuckled, then took out his ocarina and began playing a fast paced song that sounded kind of familiar. I realized that it was the same song that the guy from the windmill had always played. Then huge, dark clouds began gathering from out of nowhere. _What in the name of Hyrule…?_

Before I could start to worry, there was a loud thunder-clap, and Link and I were abruptly drenched in pouring rain. I was about to yell at him, when he tipped his head back and opened his mouth to take a drink. I realized that he had, somehow, summoned this storm, and I eagerly followed his example. The rainwater was cool and sweet, untainted and pure, and I felt refreshed, the sand washed away from my clothes. As suddenly as it had started, the rain stopped, and the young man grinned at me. "The Song of Storms. This ocarina holds more power than you an imagine. Come on."

We went across the now-muddy sand towards the gigantic Colossus, then I heard a low rumbling sound. Unthinkingly, I drew my sword, whirling to slice the strange, green creature in half. Link yelped, drawing his own blade as two more of the beasts came at him. "What are these things?"

Navi came out and hovered over one briefly just before Link killed it. "They're called leevers; guardians of the Colossus."

"Brilliant."

"They'll keep coming, so you guys had better just avoid them."

Link grabbed my arm and yanked me sideways, pulling something from his pocket and throwing it at the wall. A section of stone exploded, and he shoved me inside.

"Did you just use a bomb?"

"Yeah. We should be safe in here; those things seem to only come out of sand."

I looked around; we were standing in a huge fountain, a giant symbol of the Triforce embedded in the floor. "But where is 'here?'"

Link took out his ocarina. I listened as he played a low, gentle melody, then I jumped when I heard a loud, shrill laugh. It took every ounce of my willpower to not scream when the humongous woman materialized in the middle of the fountain, floating in the air, sparkling with magic, and wearing absolutely nothing. I noticed Link was focused on her eyes, pointedly ignoring the rest of her, so I followed his example. Her eyes were a very strange mix of pink and purple, somehow not blending together.

"Great Fairy, I seek your aid," he said respectfully, the tips of his ears reddening considerably.

_You'd think a fairy would have more decency._ She seemed oblivious to our discomfort. "My sisters and I have always looked upon you with favor. Take this spell."

She held out her hands, and a blue glow emanated from her, coalescing in Link's open palm. I stared at it; it looked like a diamond with a blue spark in the center. Link nodded. "Thank you."

"It is called Nayru's Love, and will protect your from all harm."

He bowed, then turned and shoved me out quickly, his whole face turning bright red. I couldn't have been happier to leave that place. "Do you visit fairies often?"

"The Great Fairies are not as fun to talk to as other types of fairies," he said with annoyance. "But they always help me, so I guess I can't complain too much. Let's go."

Once more, we headed to the Colossus, and this time when the leevers emerged, Link cast the spell, shrouding us both in a clear, blue diamond. The creatures just bounced off harmlessly, as soon, we entered the tower. There was a flight of stairs, a hole in the ceiling, and to the right was a stone block far too big for both of us combined to move. To the left was a tiny crawlspace, where no one but a child could possibly fit through.

"Well, this is rather pointless."

Link rolled his eyes, inspecting both obstacles carefully, then he sighed. "I guess you're right. We can't go any further. Come on, let's go see if there is any other way in." We left slowly, and his disappointment was almost palpable; I wanted to comfort him, but didn't know how. That was when a tall, lithe figure vaulted down from a stone pillar, landing in a crouch before straightening up and walking towards us. "Sheik!" Link exclaimed.

"Past, present, future…" he stopped in front of us. "The Master Sword is a ship with which you can sail upstream and downstream through time's river. The port for that ship is in the Temple of Time."  
Link seemed confused. "Why are you telling me this?"

"To restore the Desert Colossus and enter the Spirit Temple, you must travel back through time's flow."

"But how do we get back through the desert?" I asked. "The ghost isn't exactly going to show us the way again."

"Listen to this Requiem of Spirit…this melody will lead a child back to the desert." He took out his lyre and strummed a few notes, obviously waiting for Link, who seemed to finally connect it all in his head, taking out his ocarina.

For the third time, I listened as the mysterious Sheikah taught the young hero a new song, then Link attempted to go nearer to him. I winced as a miniature sandstorm suddenly whirled up out of nowhere, blinding the poor guy. I caught a hint of blue and white as Sheik leapt up onto a stone pillar again, then he was gone. Link shook his head, seemingly annoyed. "He always does that."

"I'm sure," I chuckled. "Do these warp songs of yours take other people with you?"

He looked crestfallen. "I…no, I've tried with Epona. It doesn't work. Tannin, I can't get you out of here."

"Don't worry; I'll just wait for you in the Colossus. If you're planning on time-traveling, I obviously can't go with you. Go back, do what you need to, then come here again. I'll be waiting."

He nodded, looking relieved. "Okay." He brought his ocarina to his lips, played the Prelude of Light, and vanished, leaving me alone in the desert to wait for him.

* * *

*Yes, Link is collecting Gold Skulltulas. Tannin finds out _why_ he took the skulltula later on.

A/N: The Great Fairy is #1 on my list of top fifteen most hated Legend of Zelda characters. XD Yes, I have a list. I'll put it on my profile sometime soon.


	20. Iron Knuckle

Sorry it's taken so long to update! I'd been working on a sequel for Dragonsword, funnily enough...which is stupid, considering how I haven't even finished this yet. :P Anyway, recap...Link went back in time, Tannin stayed at the Desert Colossus entrance to wait for him. XD

**20: Iron Knuckle**

"Hey, Tannin!"

"Ahh!" I jumped away, narrowly dodging the green-clad man as he dove down at me from a stone pillar. "Link, what is your problem?! Where did you come from?"

He grinned, dusting himself off. "The past, of course! What have you been doing while I've been gone?"

"Standing here for three minutes, Timeless Hero."

He laughed. "Awesome. Guess what? I got new skills!"

"Skills?" I repeated curiously.

He clenched both hands into fists and danced back and forth, throwing mock-punches at me. "Yep! Whaddaya see that's different?"

I frowned, studying him carefully. "Uh…your gloves?" They were now steel-plated, but other than that, there wasn't anything changed about him.

"Yep! Silver gauntlets! I can lift whole temples if I want!"

"Doubtful."

"Well, not temples, " he amended. "but I can lift and push around stuff that was impossible to do before."

"Just where did you find those, eh?"

"Inside the Colossus. Tannin, that place is seriously scary."

I glanced at the entrance, then shrugged. "Time-travel confuses me. You've already been inside the temple?"

"Half of it, yeah. The other half of the temple is inaccessible as a kid." He smiled. "But guess what? I met a Gerudo while I was in the temple. Her name was Nabooru."

"And where is she now?"

"Still in the past…I think. At least now I know what happened to her; she was kidnapped by the Twinrova."

"Brilliant. How do we rescue her to keep Arela from killing us?"

He chuckled. "I don't know yet, but let's go find out."

We went inside, and Link gestured to the tiny hole in the wall. "That's where I went. As a kid, I'm small enough to fit through there. But I was told I need to go this way…" he went over to the gigantic, stone block, then pressed his hands against it.

I watched curiously as he gave it a shove; to my shock, it moved a good meter or two before stopping. The young man grinned, shoving again, and I folded my arms across my chest, raising one eyebrow. "That's got to be the freakiest thing I've ever seen."

* * *

I hadn't known much about Gerudo architecture before coming to the Spirit Temple, but one thing I found out quickly was that they favored two things: fire and spikes. There were flame projectors built into the walls, triggered by pressure plates in the floor, and huge rows of spikes everywhere, whether attached to other traps, or simply sticking out from the walls. The Desert Colossus felt more like a prison than a temple, and it was obvious that it was built to protect something. However, I still didn't know _what_ this place was protecting. In fact, Link didn't seem to know, either.

"Tannin, get down!"

Link collided with me, knocking me to the floor just as a huge axe came out of nowhere, narrowly missing my head and burying itself into the wall behind us. He got off of me quickly, drawing his sword, and I stood up, wincing. "Thanks, kid. Where did that thing even come from?"

He pointed wordlessly to a massive, armored person who stood there with a huge sword, and I quickly drew my own blade. Navi perched on the young man's shoulder, glowing even brighter than before. "I think that's one of those iron knuckles!" she exclaimed.

I surveyed the thing; it was wearing heavy, steel armor that looked far too strong for a normal weapons to cut through. Good thing the Master and Dragon Swords weren't normal weapons. "You take left and I take right?" I suggested.

Link nodded, his expression grim, then Navi made that annoying ringing sound. "I think it might be vulnerable to fire!"

He frowned. "I'm too exhausted to use Din's Fire, Navi."

I glanced down at the Dragon Sword. "Sheik told me that this thing can summon fire at will with magic."

"Okay, you set it on fire, and I'll attack it with my sword," he replied calmly, raising his shield to block his chest and taking a cautious step forward, his gaze fixed on the thing's head.

"I'm not really sure how to do that…"

The iron knuckle lunged, and I dove to one side, narrowly avoiding the blow. It's huge sword embedded itself into a stone pillar, and the thing stood there, grunting as it tried to yank the blade out. I swung at its back, and the silver blade of the Dragon Sword sparked with red flames as it collided with the thick armor. The knuckle groaned in pain, jerking it's sword out of the pillar and swinging blindly at me. Link came around from the back and stabbed it through the led, causing it to collapse to its knees, still whipping that blade back and forth. We both leapt out of the way, and he smirked at me.

"I don't suppose you could do that redspark again?"

"Redspark indeed," I muttered as I attacked again, stabbing it through the chest.

Like before, the Dragon Sword flashed, and the iron knuckle made a horrific screeching sound before toppling forward. Link seemed amused. "I like that sword."

I gestured towards a door. "I think we should go."

He nodded, walking forward, and I followed him through, seeing with surprise that it went outside to one of the hands of the giant Colossus. There was a gigantic treasure chest, and the hero grinned, opening it. He froze, his eyes taking on a look of wonder as he lifted out…a shield.

It was made of gleaming, bright red steel, with a crystalline, reflective surface. "It's a mirror," he breathed.

"Do you think that's why there are so many beams of light?"

He shrugged. "Worth a shot, anyway." Link took off his old shield and replaced it with the new one, handing me the Hylian Shield. "You might as well use this."

I took it and slung it over one shoulder. "Thanks."

We left and backtracked through the halls; Link seemed oddly worried, peering into every dark corner. "I hope we can find Nabooru. I don't think those witches would have killed her, but…"

"We'll find her, kid," I reassured, dodging another fire trap. "And when we do find her, I'm going to ask why the heck her people thought it was a good idea to stick flamethrowers in every hallway."

* * *

A/N: Nabooru and the Twinrova are in the next part! XD


	21. Nabooru

**21: Nabooru**

"Another iron knuckle. Great."

Link grinned. "Redspark* again?"

"No! _You_ can fight this one!"

"Darn." He drew the Master Sword and walked towards the gigantic thing. I leaned against one pillar, ready to jump in if he needed help, but confident that the young man could handle it. I watched as he circled around the knuckle, but it kept itself facing him so that he couldn't get behind it.

Eventually, Link seemed to grow annoyed, because he pulled out what looked like a giant mouse* and launched it at the thing. To my surprise, it scurried rapidly, colliding with the iron knuckle and exploding. He took advantage of the blast to jump and slash at its helmet, crushing its head and causing it to fall.

"Good job."

He glared at me, then jerked, startled, when the beast shuddered, pushing itself up as it's helmet fell off. Then the rest of its armor fell to the floor, exposing a thin Gerudo woman. "Nabooru!" Link exclaimed, sheathing his sword and rushing to her.

She stared up at him, her eyes defocused, then she grunted, allowing him to pull her to her feet. "Who're you?"

"Link. Don't you remember me?"

She frowned, then seemed to take in his words. "You sure have grown, kid. How long has it been? I don't remember much beyond those two witches…"

"It's been seven years."

Her eyes widened. "What?! It's been that long?"

He showed her his hand. "Do you still want these?"

She looked at the silver gauntlets, then laughed. "You put them to good use, huh? They fit you better than they would me. Who is that?" She was looking directly at me.

"His name's…Merek Forthwind. He's a lot like me; doing whatever he can to stop Ganondorf."

"Nice to know. We should leave, before those witches come."

I was about to tell Link that we should keep looking for the sage, when a high-pitched, eerie laugh rang through the air as an extremely ancient-looking Gerudo woman appeared in midair, riding…a broomstick. How original.* A second woman appeared next to her, and I noticed with interest that one of them was decorated in fiery orange colors, and the other was dressed in an icy white.

"What an insolent kid!" the fiery one exclaimed.

"Looks like our spell was broken," the icy one grumbled.

Nabooru glared at them both. "You no longer control me!"

"Obviously," Icy-One snapped, her gaze settled on Link. "You need to be taught a lesson about meddling in others' business!"

"Anything I can do to stop Ganondorf is my business," he shot back, drawing his sword.

Fiery-One cackled. "Finally, a brave one."

I stood to protect Nabooru, even though I didn't particularly trust her, either. Link seemed to be getting irritated. "What do you two want? Who are you?"

Icy-One gave him a look. "I am Kotake!"

"And I am Koume!" Fiery-One declared. "We are the Twinrova!"

I smiled. "We're here to kill you, then."

Nabooru laughed. "Good call."

The witches seemed undecided, then suddenly disappeared in a flash of multicolored light. Link frowned. "We'll need to find them again; they're probably trying to lure us into a trap. I'm fairly certain that it is they who are preventing the sixth sage from hearing the awakening call. Nabooru, you should get back to your people. They're worried about you."

She nodded. "Keep yourself from getting killed, kid."

She ran down the hall that we had come from, and Link gestured to a different door. "We should track down those two before they can cause more trouble. They might even call Ganondorf if they feel that we're enough of a threat."

I thought carefully about what I'd seen of them. "I think they'll try to fight us themselves. It'll be two against two; they seem pretty confident in their abilities. Nabooru wasn't even a consideration to them. She's probably not even worth their time."

* * *

* From now on, Redspark is going to be the trademark name of Tannin's cool sword attack. XD

* I LOVE BOMBCHUS! Sorry. :-/ Random moment of exuberance.

* Why, oh why, do witches always have to ride on broomsticks? What's up with that?

A/N: Sorry it's been taking so long to update. I've been having random lacks of inspiration for Dragonsword recently. I need someone to give me a good whack upside the head, or something. :P


	22. Twinrova

A/N: I'msorryI'msorryI'msorrythatIhaven'tupdatedDragonswordinalongti me! This next chapter deals with the Twinrova. Koume is a little more intense than Kotake.

* * *

**Twinrova**

"Hey, Tannin, I've been thinking."

"That's always good," I replied, dodging yet another spike trap. He glared at me. "Your sword has the power of fire, right?" I nodded. "Well, those witches are fire and ice. I've kinda been discussing this with Navi…what if they can be harmed by their opposing elements? If that's the case, your sword will be able to harm the icy-one, Kotake. I can take care of Koume."

"With what? A pet freezard?"

He shrugged. "My mirror shield. I should be able to deflect Kotake's attacks."

I frowned. "If you're handling both of the witches, then what's the point of me being there?"

"Good point. You can guard the door."

I smacked him, but the young hero simply laughed, aiming a light beam at one of those sun-shaped targets. I jolted as the floor began going down; we were standing on a massive elevator that brought us face-to-face with the big statue of the Gerudo lady. Link stared at it as though trying to figure something out, then he aimed a light beam at the statue's face, causing it to smoke and crumble.

Behind it, I saw a door, and Link took out a weird-looking contraption. I sighed. "Let me guess…you'll go on ahead, and I'll be stuck here for eternity."

"No. Grab onto my hand."

I stared at him in surprise, but he looked dead serious. I reached out and clasped his hand tightly, then tensed as he aimed the contraption at a grate that hung above the door. "What are you…"

He pressed a trigger, and a hook shot forth from the thing, penetrating the grate. _Now what? Do we climb on the chain?_ Then there was a loud _shunk_ sound, and I yelped as both of us were yanked through the air. I fell onto my knees, gasping, and Link chuckled, pulling me up. "Sorry, I should have warned you."

"That would have been appreciated."

He gestured to the door. "I think they're in there."

"Okay. You fight them, and I'll only jump in if I see that you're getting pulverized."

He scowled, but walked forward, opening the door. I followed closely, and we ended up in a huge, square room with a large platform rising up in the center. Four, smaller pillars surrounded it, and there were handholds up the side to climb on.

"This feels strangely like a trap," Link muttered.

"That's because it _is_ a trap. You said so yourself."

"Oh. Right. Well, then, shall we go?"

I pushed past him and climbed up the side of the huge platform with him close behind, going to stand in the exact center. The room was devoid of any life besides us. Well, at first glance, anyway. I spotted Kotake hovering up near the roof, and Koume was right behind her. I unsheathed my sword instinctively, and Link did likewise as they came flying down to confront us.

"We don't take kindly to mere mortals invading our temple to defile it," Kotake hissed venomously.

"You must pay for your tremendous insults," said the other.

"You are the ones who have desecrated this place with your dark magic," Link replied steadily. I glanced at him, startled; he sounded far more mature and responsible than he ever had before.

"The sages will never be revived," Koume declared.

"I've already awakened five of them! Your power is weak, and I gain strength every hour! Admit it; Ganondorf is going to lose, and I _will_ save Hyrule from him, you, and any others who threaten it!"

Kotake shrieked when he whipped out his bow and shot a flaming arrow at her, piercing her chest, and I swung my sword, feeling a great wave of power surge through me before a scarlet flame streaked across the Dragon Sword's blade and through the air, striking her and knocking her into the wall.

Koume gave a horrendous wail, launching her own fire back at us, and Link dove in front of me, whipping his shield up to block it; the attack streaked back at her and roiled through the air before hurtling back towards us.

"Link, get Kotake! I'll take care of this one!"

He nodded, darting away towards the ice witch. Koume saw him, and launched a bolt of fire towards him, but I lunged and caught the attack with my sword, flinging it back at her. It only distracted the witch, but it was enough; I took a running leap, grabbing onto her broomstick and dragging her down to me.

"You'll never win!" she cackled, and I grunted as she struck me with a fist, her hand blazing with bright, orange flames. Somehow, though, I was immune to her fire, and I retaliated, striking her with my sword. She gave an animal-like growl, somehow blocking the sword and lunging at me. I felt her large, clawed hands around my neck as she savagely bit at me.

I gasped as she tore open my shoulder, then she screamed, collapsing into me. It was Link; he'd stabbed her through the heart with the Master Sword, narrowly missing my chest. He was breathing heavily, sweat beading down his face, and I grunted, shoving at the deadweight of the witch, but she was too heavy. "Is Kotake…?"

"She'd dead," he confirmed, sheathing his blade and dragging the witch's body off of me, reaching out one hand. I took it and allowed him to pull me to my feet, using the Dragon Sword as a crutch when I nearly fell again. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think my ankle's broken, and I have a lot of cuts from Koume. She had sharp teeth."

He grinned. "You know, she may have given you some kind of disease by biting you."

I shuddered. "I sincerely hope not."

"Ah, don't worry about it."

"Are _you_ okay?"

"Well, the combination of your Redspark and my fire arrow weakened Kotake so much that when I stabbed her with my sword, it was more of a mercy-killing. So no, she didn't wound me, but I got burned a little by Koume."

I nodded. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

"I'm not sure how. The door locked behind us when we came in. Ordinarily, the sage brings me out." He looked around. "Um…the sage should have awakened by now…"

Before I could respond, I was blinded by a brilliant, orange light that enveloped me completely, and I felt a strange, tingling sensation before I found myself standing…in the middle of the Gerudo Fortress, with all of my wounds somehow healed. _What just happened?_ Link was nowhere to be seen, but a gleaming, curved scimitar was; it was pointed straight at my throat.

I looked past the blade to see Arela standing there, her features set in a scowl. "_You_. Where did you come from?"'

"My mother, about thirty years ago." She growled, advancing, and I held up my hands. "Relax. I was at the Spirit Temple, and I was magically teleported here somehow through means which are still unknown to me. What, you didn't notice that bright light?"

She frowned, then took a step back. "You were at the temple?"

"Yup. And Kotake and Koume are dead."

"You killed the Twinrova?!"

"No, _Link_ killed the Twinrova. I just _almost_ killed Kotake."

She sheathed her blade, taking a step back. "And where is he?"

"Um…I have no idea. I was standing inside the temple, then everything turned blinding, and I appeared here. Link I either back at the temple, or he was teleported elsewhere."

Her frown deepened, then there was another bright flash, and I watched in surprise as Link materialized, encased in a blue crystal. He looked dead, and I rushed towards him, once more reaching him just as the crystal disappeared. I caught him quickly, and he groaned, opening his eyes. "Tannin?"  
_No, I can't let the Gerudos know who I am! _"No, Link, it's Merek. What, did you get brain damage again?"

He looked confused, then his gaze registered the presence of Arela behind me. "Oh. Um…Merek, the sixth sage is Nabooru."

"What! Really?"

"Yeah. She told me that her daughter will take her place as leader of the Gerudo, now that she's gone. She also told me to let them know that Ganondorf is evil, and they must not follow him."

Arela glowered at him. "Can you prove to me that what you say is true, boy? Did Nabooru really tell you that?"

"She told me to tell you that she knew you hid the gemstone on the roof of the fortress, and she's not mad at you for putting thistles in your cousin's shoes."

She looked amazed. "There is no way anyone but Nabooru could have known that."

"I know."

I shrugged. "Sorry, Arela, but we have work to do, and you said yourself that we wouldn't be welcome here after the first trek through. So I'd like to leave before your women start throwing spears at us."

She gave a hoarse laugh. "We are grateful that you destroyed the Twinrova. As our thanks, we give you this." She held out a quiver to Link. "This is a treasure of our tribe. It can hold hundreds of arrows without running out. I can also teach you a spell to freeze anything your arrow penetrates."

I watched as she whispered something into his ear, and he nodded. "Thanks. We will be going now."

* * *

A/N: I know, the witches didn't do their 'Double-Dynamite Attack.' They scare me when they combine into one form, and I didn't want Tannin to be scarred for life. :P Personally, I was wigging out over the epic fire battle that took place. Yes, I'm a fan of my own writing. XD


	23. Princess

/N: Anyone who's played Ocarina of Time before knows what happens next. And anyone who hasn't played OoT before should not be reading this. XD

* * *

**Princess**

I wanted to go to Ganon's Castle immediately to destroy him, but Link was hesitant. He wanted to 'wait for instruction.' I repeatedly asked him what he meant, but he never said. So, after a lot of arguing, we compromised. Rather than go to the castle right away, we'd go to the Temple of Time. Apparently, the young man wanted to find Sheik before he went off to destroy the King-of-All-Evil-And-Darkness. I tried to convince him that it'd be impossible to find a Shadow Warrior who was specifically trained for stealth, but he didn't care. So, to the Temple of Time we went.

As expected, the place was completely empty. "Well, this was a waste of time. No pun intended."

Link glared at me. "He might come."

"What makes you think that?"

"He always comes right when I need his guidance."

I smirked. "If his timing's _that_ good, one would start to wonder whether or not he stalks you."

"Shut up, Tannin."

"Respect your elders," I shot back.

"Oh, yes, Elder. Shall I tuck you into bed?"

I laughed, then heard footsteps behind me. We turned in unison, only to see Sheik standing there. _That's odd. Usually, I can never hear him coming._ He also look thinner, as though he hadn't been eating well recently. I wondered if maybe Sheik _did_ follow Link everywhere, and because of that, he wasn't taking care of himself properly.

"It is good that you came here, Hero."

_Wait…his voice sounds a little higher, more strained. It's like he's nervous about something. _Link took a step forward. "I…Sheik, I wanted to know something before I go to confront Ganondorf. It's about Zelda. Is…is she okay? I have to know."

"She's fine. Worried about you, but otherwise okay."

_Wait a second…since when does Sheik use such modern language? He's almost always been poetic and elegant in his speech. He sounds almost…informal now.*_ Link didn't seem to notice. "Thank you. Uh…Sheik…do you know what Ganondorf's weaknesses are? In case I can't reach him with the Master Sword?"

"He's a creature of darkness. You can stop him with light," Sheik replied simply. Informally.

_I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this.*_ I half expected the warrior to start laughing manically and reveal himself to be a servant of Ganon. But no, Sheik instead began speaking of an ancient legend that the Royal Family had passed down through the generations. A legend of the Triforce. Link seemed rather startled. "I've heard that tale before. Zelda told it to me, all those years ago."

"Yes. I was just making sure you remembered. Ganon can only be stopped by light." Sheik held out his hand. Link took a step forward and reached out, only to have a golden orb placed in the center of his palm. "This is a spell to infuse your arrows with the power of light. Use them to bring him to your sword."

"Okay…thanks." Sheik nodded. Then, without warning, he reached up and removed the bindings around his face. Link gasped, and I jerked back, astonished. Sheik was a woman! Her eyes suddenly swirled, becoming a clear, sky-blue, and she reached back and pulled down her hood, revealing spiky, golden hair that had been cropped short. I had no idea what was going on, but Link was pale. "_Zelda_?!" he shrieked, his voice cracking.

_WHAT?! Is he serious?!_ Apparently so, because the woman took a few steps until she was right in front of him. "I'm sorry, Link. The deception was necessary to sneak past Ganondorf's spies."

"You've been Sheik this whole time," he murmured, looking kind of frightened, as well as thoroughly freaked and embarrassed. I had a feeling that he'd probably told 'Sheik' a few of his thoughts about Zelda in the past.

She dipped her head slightly. I was just creeped out by this new revelation that the Shadow Warrior had turned out to be the Princess of Hyrule. She glanced at me, and I bowed reflexively. She frowned. "Don't. I'm not the ruler of Hyrule. Not until Ganondorf is destroyed."

"You've been right there this whole time," Link whispered, trembling. "I never even suspected anything."

"I know, that was the intention. But there is no time, we must move quickly, or else-" she screamed when a massive barrier suddenly formed itself around her, and Link gasped, charging at the wall and attempting to bash through it.

"No! Zelda!" I grabbed him and hauled him back as Zelda was lifted into the air, trapped inside the crystal barrier. "Let go of me! I have to save her! _Zeldaaaa!_"

* * *

* Tannin suspects something. Look on my profile if you want to know my veiws on the Sheik/Zelda gender controversy.

* Small tribute to Star Wars. XD

A/N: Poor Link. :P After all this time, he's finally reunited with Zelda, only to have her snatched away again. XD


	24. Breaking the Barrier

It took me so dang long to figure out how Tannin would be able to help Link with the six seals that control the central barrier in the tower. So, eventually, this is what happened. And, in case none of you bothered to read the summary, then I'm gonna warn you now, BEFORE they reach Ganondorf: things DO deviate from canon a LOT in these last few chapters. So no freaking out or flaming over it. Just telling y'all ahead of time. XD

* * *

**24: Breaking the Barrier**

It took a while, but I eventually got him calmed down by reassuring him that we'd rescue her. As soon as I managed to get that concept into his head, he got a grim, determined look on his face, his entire stance becoming tensed. "It was Ganondorf. That barrier could have only been caused by him."

"We need to go to the castle," Navi said, peeking out from behind Link's ear. I'd completely forgotten that she was there.*

"Good idea, but how do we get in there without getting killed?"

Link frowned. "We go in and destroy anything in our way. No monster is a match for the Dragon Sword _and_ the Master Sword. We can take anything that's in there."

"Let's go, then." He nodded, and we left the temple; I followed him as we went down the grimy street and into the huge area where the castle was. The structure was massive, solid black, and somehow hovering in midair. Far below was a pit filled with lava. "Well, it looks like Ganon took the idea of theatricality a little too literally."*

Link was staring at the lava with a look of despair. "There is no way we can cross that," he moaned softly.

"Not alone, perhaps," a deep, rumbling voice said.

I turned, startled, only to see an elderly Hylian man who was wearing golden robes. I frowned. "Who are you?"

The old man ignored me. "Hero of Time, it was not for nothing that you awakened the sages. We serve a purpose."

He glowered. "Define 'purpose.' All you people have done so far is give me a bunch of medallions."*

The man tilted his head slightly, then raised his hands into the air. Five other people materialized around him: a Zora, a tiny, green-clad girl, a Goron, a Sheikah, and Nabooru. They, too, lifted their hands, and differently colored beams of light shot from each of them, colliding in the sky in a brilliant, rainbow flash, then spreading to form a long bridge across the pit of lava, right up to the main door.

The tiny girl turned to him. "We will take care of the majority of the monsters within. You head for the highest room in the castle; that's where he is keeping Zelda."

He bowed in return. "Thanks, Saria."

She nodded, then the six sages vanished, leaving us alone. I glanced at Link, who shrugged, then set out across the transparent, multicolored bridge without a second's hesitation. I followed quickly, drawing my sword, and he did likewise as we entered. There were a pair of weird statues by the entrance, and he destroyed them with a pair of bombs, then we went through the door. The first thing I saw was a massive tower with a barrier around it, beams of light striking it repeatedly in a rhythm that seemed to affect its strength.

"We'll need to disable that barrier," Navi told him.

"Obviously," he replied. "There's six doors, and the beams of light are originating from above those doors. Should we split up?"

"That would be best."

He nodded. "Do you have a bow?"

"No."

"Okay, then."

"Why?"

"I was going to give you the spell for the light arrows, but, since you don't have a bow, I guess that plan won't work…"

I smirked. "Give me the spell, anyway, and about half of your arrows. I don't need a bow."

"How are you going to shoot the arrows, then?"

"You'll find out."

He shrugged, then took out his quiver. "Can you use magic?" I shook my head. "Then I'll just infuse the arrows with light now so that you won't have to worry about that." I watched as he took out five arrows and did something strange to them that made them glow with a golden light, then he gave them to me. "Don't drop them."

I ignored him, tucking the arrows into my belt and veering left, going past all of the doors until I found one with a blue symbol above it. The Hylian symbol for water. _Might as well use fire against water._ I entered, then had to dodge as a freezard blew its icy breath at me. _Okay, fire against ice._ I drew my sword and swung it towards the ice-monster, feeling that power surge from before as the now-familiar, red flame rippled down the blade and into the beast.

It melted instantly, and I attacked the other three freezards, killing them as well. There was another door, and the next room held a gigantic block puzzle. _Great._ It took three tries, but I eventually got it, entering the next room. There was merely a beam of blue light with a weird, orange ball suspended in the center of it. I took out one of the arrows, holding back a gasp of surprise as the arrowhead began blazing with a vibrant, golden light, flashing and sparking violently.

I hesitated, then ran forward, flicking my wrist and using my momentum to hurl the arrow through the air; it penetrated the orange ball up to the flights, and I flinched as it exploded, showering me in glittering, blue flecks. Almost immediately, the Zora sage appeared, her eyes narrowed as she hovered there. "The seal is broken, the spell shattered. Good work, but there is one other left."

I felt a rush of cold air, then found myself standing back at the entrance. _That was freaky._ I heard footsteps, then a voice. "Tannin!"

I turned, staring at Link. "You've dispelled the other four seals already? It took me a while to break _one_!"

He grinned. "You're just slow, old man. Here," he tossed the silver gauntlets at me, and I frowned.

"Don't you need these?"

"Nope. I got something even better." He waved his hands, and I saw that he was now wearing gold-plated gauntlets. "These make me twice as strong as the silver ones do."

"Where did you get those? Travel back in time again?"

He laughed. "No, they were in the Shadow Room. The only one left that we need to break is the Fire Seal."

"Let's go, then." We went through the door with the red symbol above it, and I was instantly unable to breathe.

So I made the wisest choice: I retreated. I stood there for a bit, waiting, then Link materialized. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just realized that, while I may be fireproof, I'm not _heat_proof. Unlike you, I would've died in there."

"Look, Tannin, the barrier is gone."

I stared at the central tower; the door was shaped like a fanged mouth, with spikes protruding from the top and bottom of the opening. "I sincerely hope that Ganondorf doesn't have friends in that tower with him."

"There's only one way to find out," he muttered, going forward, with his sword held ready. "I'll rescue Zelda if it takes all of my strength to do so. Are you with me?"

"Of course. It's about time someone challenges his power."

"Then let's go."

* * *

* Poor, forgotten fairy. :-/ I seem to keep excluding Navi from the story by accident. Sorry about that. :P

* Kind of a phrase from the Batman Begins videogame. XD If you've never played that game, it's for Gamecube. If you like awesome stealth games, then go get it and play it right now! Well, after you finish reading this, of course. XD

* A reference to how utterly useless the Six Sages are. XD

A/N: Everything about to bust loose! :D Pure epicness in the next chapter, because that's when they confront Ganondorf! =D


	25. Power

WARNING: Tannin has no magic ability, unlike Link. Therefore, he is relatively ineffective against Ganondorf. Read at your own risk. XD

* * *

**25: Power…**

The stairs seemed to be endless, always spiraling upwards with new monsters at each level. In one room, we encountered two iron knuckles; Link took on the black-armored one, and I fought with the white-armored one.

"Is it just me, or is the music getting louder?"

Link frowned at me. "What music?"

"Can't you hear it? There's some kind of orchestral music echoing through the tower, and it's getting louder the further we go."*

"Yeah, I hear it, but I kind of tuned it out. What does it matter?"

"I'm just curious."

Link stopped in front of a huge, blue and gold door. "I think this is as far as we can go." We went through, and the first thing I saw was a massive, scarlet crystal suspended in midair, Princess Zelda imprisoned within. Below her, seated in front of a huge organ*, was the Dark Lord of All That is Evil and Wicked in the Entire World. Also known as Ganondorf, King of Darkness.

He was the source of the music, his head bent as he wove a complex song that seemed to echo and roll like powerful thunder; I had to resist the urge to cover my ears. Link braced himself, his eyes taking on a steely, angry look as he glared daggers at the man's back. I was simply curious as to why he was ignoring us. Especially considering how he had two competent swordsmen who hated him standing behind him with the two most powerful swords ever created.

"Ganon!" Link shouted, his voice furious.

The music stopped. I heard a low, rumbling voice that reminded me of a sleeping dragon. "The two Triforce parts that I could not capture on that day seven years ago…I didn't expect they would be hidden within you two!" I stiffened as the man stood very slowly, his hands resting on the keyboard of the organ, his head still bowed. "And now, finally, all the Triforce parts have gathered here!"

He turned slowly, and I found myself looking into the face of a man who was obviously of Gerudo lineage, with dark, almost obsidian-black skin, bright, yellow eyes, and long, crimson hair that was swept back into many braids. When he opened his mouth to speak, I saw that he had four, small fangs where his canine teeth should be. "These toys are too much for you." He raised his left hand into the air and formed a fist; I saw a golden mark burning brightly on the back of his hand: the mark of the Triforce. "I command you to return them to me!"

"Never!" Link answered, his eyes flickering to Zelda briefly. "I'll fight you until my last breath!"

"I _can_ break you, boy," the dark lord hissed.

He threw out his hand, a wave of violet power flowing from him…directly towards me. "_No!_" Link screamed as I raised the Dragon Sword to block it; the dark force swirled around the blade and entered me. I felt myself thrown backwards into the wall as I was gripped with a terrible, burning pain, my vision blurring.

_Link…don't worry about me…I'll be…fine…_I tried to tell him, but I felt myself slipping into the void as the dark power took over.

* * *

* Ah, yes, Ganondorf's obsession with music. XD I just HAD to put that in here.

* By 'organ,' I mean the type of musical instrument, not the type of organ found within the body. :P

A/N1: The crystal that Zelda is in was changed to a red crystal instead of a pink one, because I highly doubt that Ganondorf would use pink, girly magic.

A/N2: Navi has no part in this. It is Tannin who is hit by Ganon's dark magic instead of the fairy. Just putting that out there in case any of you were wondering. XD

A/N3: Is Tannin dead? Heheheheh...cliffhangers! Ya gotta love 'em! Don't worry, I'll update soon. I'm not so cruel as to keep you guys waiting all week.


	26. Courage

The chapter title really has nothing to do with the chapter. Just putting that out there. XD

* * *

**26: Courage…**

Without warning, the spell on me disappeared, and I felt life returning to my body. I drew a deep breath, forcing my eyes open, only to see a hazy, cloudy sky. _Wait one second…I'm outside?_

"Tannin! Are you okay?"

I frowned up at Link, seeing that he looked weary and battered. "Uh…what happened?"

"Ganondorf blasted you with dark magic!"

"Well I knew _that_!" I snapped. "Where is he, though?" Link turned his head, and I followed his gaze, seeing the Dark Lord laying facedown on the ground, blood pooling underneath him. "He's dead?"

The young hero chuckled. "I'd be shocked if he wasn't. I stabbed him clean through the chest. Hyrule is safe now."

"We should go. It's over; the people need to know that he's gone." I glanced at the princess in surprise. Link nodded, then I collapsed to my knees as the floor shook; Zelda gasped. "Ganondorf!"

"Great. The guy's already dead or dying, and he has to bring the whole castle down with him," Link growled.

I shook off his hand, standing up again. "I'm fine. We need to get out of here before the place collapses."

"I agree with him," Zelda said. "We can make our way down the outside of the castle; there's a long ledge that will serve as a ramp."

She began running, and Link grabbed me by the arm and took off after her; I sighed, twisting out of his grip and leaping ahead of him, landing on the ramp next to Zelda. She glanced at me and nodded, then ran to a grate and threw a ball of light at it. The grate slid open, and we entered, Link wielding the Master Sword to kill a pair of lizalfos that were inside. By the time we eventually reached the bottom of the tower, the entire place was crumbling, and Link was even struck by a boulder. Thankfully, Zelda had put up a magic barrier at the last second to save him from injury.

Then, just as things began exploding, a brilliant flash of light enveloped us, and I realized that we were now standing safely on the side of a cliff, watching the castle as it collapsed. Link seemed bewildered; I knew I was. Zelda, however, looked merely exhausted. "Thank you," she whispered.

Link seemed to realize something. "The sages got us out?"

"Yes." She glanced at me curiously. "You recovered from that blast pretty quickly."

"Maybe Ganondorf only intended to incapacitate me rather than kill me," I suggested, staring as the castle sunk into the pit of lava, filling the crater completely and becoming no more than stone ruins. "Should we go down there to double-check that he's dead?"

"There should be no need," she replied. "Link stabbed him with the Master Sword."

"Still, even with that kind of fatal wound, he was strong enough to bring down a huge structure."

Link frowned. "He has a point, Zel. I think I should go check."

"I'll go with you," I volunteered. "Princess, you stay here." She glared at me, and I grinned. "You may have the abilities of a Sheikah, but I'd rather you stayed here, considering everything that's happened lately. Link and I can handle this."

She huffed, but sat down, and the young hero and I climbed down from the cliff, walking toward the ruins slowly. "If he's still there and not squashed like a leever, then he'll be somewhere around the center of the ruins," Link stated.

I glanced sideways at him. "'Zel?'"

"Shut up, Tannin!"


	27. And Flames

Again, I'm sorry for the spastic updates. A another of my bunny trails called Rauta Aave stole my attention for a while, but I'm back. XD

* * *

**And Flames**

There seemed to be nothing left but rubble and smoke, with a few charred bodies that were probably left from various lizalfos. "I found him," Link whispered, his soft voice seeming thunderous in comparison to the eerie silence before.

I went over to him, seeing the scorched corpse, but, strangely enough, the dark lord seemed relatively intact. My instincts were instantly in edge when I noticed this. "Something's not right. He should be nonexistent; the tower fell right on him. How could he have been protected from the damage?"

He shrugged, lightly nudging the body with the toe of his boot. "He's dead, Tannin. I don't think he's coming back."

A disturbing thought struck me. "What if the power of the Triforce is still in him?"

Link suddenly looked nervous. "I hope not, otherwise-"

A loud rumble halted his words as the entire area began shaking, then Ganon's body shifted. I froze as the dark lord abruptly rose into the air, and I saw that the man's eyes were glowing. "Link, he's alive!" I shouted, drawing the Dragon Sword and leaping back.

"I figured that out," he growled, then Ganon began shuddering violently, and I watched in horror as the Gerudo King grew into some kind of massive, hideous beast.

A massive, hideous beast that had two, golden swords that were big enough to put a hole the size of a skulltula into me. I sighed. "Why can't we ever run into something that's relatively harmless? It's always a scary creature of darkness."

Link seemed kind of frightened, actually, and he whipped out his bow and shot a light arrow at the Beast-Ganon. It roared, staggering back, and he lunged, slashing at its legs, which had no effect. The Master Sword simply bounced off, sending the hero staggering back; the beast swung one of its weapons, hitting Link's sword. I saw a flash of silver as the blade of evil's bane flew through the air and embedded itself in the ground far away, and Link ran to retrieve it, but a wall of fire sprang up, separating him from his sword. He froze, and I lunged to position myself between him and the creature, sending a volley of fire-darts at its face from my blade.

"Tannin, I don't have any weapons that would work on it besides Light Arrows, and those only stun it!"

"I'll handle this, kid," I muttered, raising my shield and taking a step forward. The beast snarled at me, whipping both of the golden swords at my head, but I ducked, rolling forward between its legs and coming up behind to slash it's…tail.

The Dark Lord of All That is Evil and Wicked in the Entire World had a _tail_. It's face looked a lot like a giant pig, too. I grinned as it jerked forward, and I felt an incredible power surging through me; a massive, blazing inferno flowed from the blade, enveloping the dark lord completely, and I heard an incredible scream that echoed so loudly that I felt the ground vibrating beneath me. Or that could have been the shaking caused by Ganon collapsing on his face.

The firestorm flooded back into my blade, sucking up Ganon's flames as well, and I felt a brief sensation of warmth as the fire entered me. Link retrieved the Master Sword, his expression amazed. "Now _that_ was _awesome_!"

"Link, he's still alive," I reminded him.

"Really?" We circled around the beast, where I saw it shaking, letting out small moans like it was some kind of deranged ReDead. Link frowned. "I actually feel kind of sorry for him."

I whacked him upside the head aggressively. "Are you kidding? This guy is responsible for ruining the whole kingdom!"

He laughed. "I said I was sorry for him; I didn't say I agreed with him!" With that, the hero raised the Master Sword and plunged it deep into Ganon's skull.

The moment he did, an incredible, golden light streaked out from the beast and into me, and I staggered as blinding, blue light overwhelmed my senses as I felt myself falling through a white portal into a pool of red fire, Link's cries of fear echoing dimly through my senses as I collapsed to my knees.

* * *

A/N: Tannin has an amazing talent for getting himself knocked unconscious, doesn't he? XD


	28. Hello, Nabooru

**Hello, Nabooru**

Slowly, I became aware that I was kneeling on a translucent surface that was the centerpiece of a large, golden pedestal that looked like a huge Triforce. And I was surrounded on all sides by complete strangers; instinctively, I straightened up and held my sword ready…then I noticed a familiar face. She was standing on a fiery orange pedestal, and on either side of her were a tall, scary Sheikah woman, and an old man who I recognized as Rauru. I frowned, and the Gerudo woman grinned at me, chuckling. "Hello, Starflare."

I glared at her. "Hello, Nabooru. Where am I?"

Rauru spoke in that weird voice of his. "The Chamber of the Sages, deep within the Temple of Light."

I sheathed my sword, abruptly recognizing the other strangers as the sages. "Why am I here?"

"Look at your left hand," the creepy Sheikah woman muttered.

I obeyed, then gasped, shocked. The golden outline of the Triforce was glowing faintly on the back of my hand, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. I touched it carefully, but no, I wasn't imagining it; it was real. "What happened?"

The massive Goron spoke. "The three parts of the Triforce can only work in two ways. They must either always be joined together, or they must be separate and housed within three different people. If one of the wielders of the Triforce dies, then the part that he or she wielded must go into a new master."

"Why me, though?"

The little green-clothed girl laughed. "You were convenient."

"You people still haven't told me why I'm here."

Rauru scowled at me; I decided that he was creepier than the Sheikah lady. "You are now the Wielder of the Triforce of Power."

"Obviously!"

The little girl smiled. "What he's trying to do is discern whether or not you'll end up as evil as Ganondorf was. I told him he was being ridiculous, but he won't listen."

I folded my arms across my chest, deliberately ignoring the pulsing glowy-thing on my hand. "Where have you guys been? I've been working to get rid of Ganon since he first made himself known!"

"And your efforts were admirable," Rauru interjected. "But the Triforce of Power has a troubled history."

"It's a magical triangle. It was the guy who owned it that was troubled, not the triangle itself."

"But we must first confirm-"

"You know what?" I interrupted. "I don't like you. And I'm _not_ evil, nor will I ever be anytime soon. Can I go back to the real world now? Link is probably freaking out and thinking that I've died."

Rauru gave me a look that was pretty vicious for an ancient sage, and Nabooru chuckled. "Yes. Use the Triforce wisely, Starflare."

There was a flash of blue light, and I found myself standing in the middle of the ruins of Ganon's Castle. I looked around, then saw Link seated beside Zelda, both of their heads bowed. I sighed, then went up to them. "I'm not dead."

"Tannin!" he yelped, bolting upright and just about crushing me in a hug. "You're alive!"

I carefully wriggled out of his grip. "I just said that, didn't I? Hello, Princess." I nodded to Zelda, who looked confused.

Link grabbed me by both shoulders and gave me a stern look. "What the heck happened to you? You vanished into thin air!"

I cocked my head. "Wait, I did? Literally? Cool."

He glowered at me. "Old people are not supposed to say modern words like 'cool.'"

I grinned, showing him the back of my hand. Zelda drew her breath sharply, grabbing my hand and inspecting it closely, and I chuckled. "It looks the same no matter how you stare at it."

She had her eye practically pressed up against my hand, and Link stared at me. "Is that the Triforce of Power?"

"Figured it out that quickly, huh?"

He rolled his eyes. "Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom, and I have Courage, so that only leaves Power for you to have."

"I can't have wisdom or courage? Darn. I guess I make a lousy knight."

"You can't have more than one part of the Triforce."

I laughed. "You're clueless. Your Majesty, could I have my hand back? I do need it for various tasks."

Her face reddened, and she released my hand; Link was shaking with silent laughter. "Can we go? Ganondorf is dead; Hyrule is free. I think the people should know."

Zelda nodded, avoiding me as she walked away. "I need to find something else to wear. The last thing I want is for the people to think that their ruler has been frolicking about as a Sheikah."

"You _were_ frolicking about as a Sheikah," Link reminded her.

"Shut up, Hero of Time," she growled.


	29. Snowpeak

**Snowpeak**

"You're going to leave?"

I nodded, not looking up from my shield as I carefully wiped it clean; it wasn't the Hylian Shield that Link had given me, it was a newer one, made for me by Fendrel. It was dark blue, with Hyrule's crest emblazoned on it in silver. "Yes, I'll leave tomorrow."

"Why?" Link asked, sitting next to me.

"Hyrule already has a hero, and there's nothing more that I would be needed for. I figure that I'll head west. Maybe pay the Gerudos a visit before leaving Hyrule altogether."

"I suppose there's no way I'll be able to persuade you to stay?"

"Not unless you know of something I can do besides drifting aimlessly all over the place."

Link picked up my sword and hefted it slightly. "Zelda's given you the title 'Dragon Knight,' you know."

I grinned. "It's not too bad, I guess."

He grimaced, handing the Dragon Sword to me. "She's already back into her 'princess mode.' To be honest, I liked her better when I thought she was a man named Sheik."

I laughed. "You'd better not tell _her_ that."

"I know. Are you _sure_ you want to leave?"

I glared at him. "I've never been indecisive in my life, and I don't plan on starting now. Why?"

He shrugged awkwardly. "I…Tannin, I wanted to tell you something important. Please don't laugh."

"Link, the only reason I'd ever laugh at you would be if you told me that you've decided to marry Ruto."

He looked horrified. "I would never!"

"Good. Now, what did you want to tell me?"

He glared at me. "You kind of stopped my momentum."

"What momentum?"

"I'm deeply grateful for everything you've done, and you've been like a father to me," he blurted out.

I just stared at him. "You've thanked me a few times already. And I knew that already."

"Wait…you…knew?"

"Link, having you around was like having another son."

"Okay, let's get off this topic," he said quickly.

I grinned. "What? Too sentimental for you?"

"You're a sap, old man. Are you still bent on leaving?"

"Yes. You can't change my mind."

"What if I told you that I needed your help?"

I eyed him skeptically. "With what, exactly?"

He stood up and grabbed my arm, pulling me unwillingly to my feet. "Come on, I'll show you."

"Fine, hold on." I slung my shield over my shoulder and sheathed the Dragon Sword, then allowed Link to drag me across Hyrule field, into Zora's Domain, and through a small cave that led out into a huge, ice-covered mountain.

"The Zoras call this place 'Snowpeak,'" he explained as he led my up the slopes. I reluctantly followed him as we went up one side of the mountain and down the other, eventually reaching a humongous, snowy valley that could have held Hyrule Castle in it, it was so large.

"Why would you need my help with a valley?"

He gestured at the wide, unbroken field of snow. "This place is huge. I'm thinking of building a fortress here."

"Why in the name of Din would you need a fortress?" I exclaimed.

"I can't be everywhere at once, like everyone wants me to be. I was thinking of training some other Hylians to protect Hyrule."

"We already have soldiers for that."

"They're incompetent."

I chuckled. "Are you forgetting that I used to be a soldier?"

"You were one in a million. I'm talking on a large scale. I want to train at least three hundred knights to protect Hyrule."

"_Three hundred_?"

"Extreme, I know, but I was thinking of a long-term thing."

I frowned. "You _do_ realize that Hyrule has you for protection, right? I mean, you're not the one who was planning on leaving."

"I know, but I won't be here forever. I'm not immortal."

"How would you know? You're not even twenty yet!"

He laughed. "Technically, I'm not even fifteen yet. But you have a point. Still, I want to do this. Will you help me?"

I groaned. "Fine; you'll die of hypothermia if I don't. Why can't you build a fortress in the field, or someplace a little warmer?"

"I want it to be secluded. This place is _perfect_."

"Yeah, perfect for a yeti."

"So you'll help me?"

"I already said that, didn't I? I'll be back in a week."

"Where are you going?"

"To Death Mountain. I'm going to hunt down a dodongo and make armor out of its scales."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all." I turned and left him standing in the huge valley, wondering whether or not I should also use the Dragon Sword to melt the valley before we began building Link's insanely big fortress.

* * *

A/N: Dragon Sword is complete! :D And guess what? I've been working on a sequel for a while, so I'll have the first few chapters of that posted. It's called 'Allegiance,' for want of a better name.


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